For its third annual installment, the organizers of Contemporary Istanbul have set a tone of destiny in the chosen theme of this year’s fair.  The imperial city on the Bosphorus is to become a “new art destination” in the foreseeable future.  Read variously, this bold moniker may mean both a destination for new art as well as a new destination for art in general.  The point of the matter, though, is quite emphatic: Istanbul has been branded anew as a place to come in search of high quality contemporary art.  Between 16-19 October, gallerists, collectors, and art lovers alike will have a forum for artistic discovery at the Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center in Maçka.  The trade in business and pleasure is bound to be heavy, with over 50,000 visitors expected.  Amidst all the bustle, you can bet that the host city, maybe as much as the art itself, will figure favorably in the chatter echoing through the Rumeli halls.  

     But before the people come, there must be a strong organizational committee that attends to the countless details involved in pulling off a successful fair.  Those managerial responsibilities lie in the hands of a tireless staff, headed by Emin Mahir Balcıoğlu, a director who seems as comfortable in his role as event coordinator as he is parcing the definitions of “contemporary” or engaging a discussant in the historical contexts of world art.  An architect by training, and formerly the director of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Balcıoğlu is certainly no newcomer to the Turkish art world.  His vision for Contemporary Istanbul reflects his extensive international experience and vigorous commitment to homegrown culture.  “This is not just a 4-day fair,” he says, “rather a year-long presence”—a progression of events during which representatives of the fair participate in other international art gatherings (Miami, Dubai, and Basel are some of the biggies) in order to promote the city of Istanbul and Turkish art.  The calendar year, it turns out, is just the beginning of things when it comes to the director’s overall goal of making Contemporary Istanbul one of the top five fairs in the world within a decade.

      An important part of making the “new art destination” dream a reality for the city is ensuring that the global art network of producers and consumers, critics and enthusiasts conceive of Istanbul as a crossroads of common interests.  Going beyond the clichéd terms of an East-West “bridge,” Balcıoğlu speaks concretely about the integrated orientations of Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East when it comes to cueing off each other in pursuit of artistic trends.  “While Turks historically may demonstrate a lack of self-confidence or inhibited feelings when in the realm of culture on European soil, similar traits are discernible among Middle Easterners for whom Turkey is something like their western model to emulate.”  Istanbul, as pivot point for exchange of artistic ideas, thus emerges more clearly in this formulation.  The director went on to add that “when Turkey agreed to enter into accession talks with the EU, more than 300 journalists from the Arab World came to Turkey—far outnumbering their European colleagues.”  By way of analogy, it’s fascinating to see how closely the region is watching Turkey’s movements in all directions.  

      The example of Turkish art collectors and their changing tastes serves to point up the effects of the feedback mechanisms resulting from the cross-currents of artistic exchange.  In the 1950s, a visitor in the home of cultivated Istanbul family might see Life Magazine centerfold images framed and hung on the walls.  Collectors in decades past wanted just the 19^th century European “classics”—the Renoirs and Monets, maybe a Degas.  Today’s trend is two-fold, and it lights up Balcıoğlu’s face to talk about it.  “Turkish collectors are buying contemporary, and they’re not just buying Turkish works.”  This means collectors focus more of their energy on galleries and auctions featuring mainly living artists.  There’s an emphasis on the creativity of the present as these buyers look to the future.  What’s makes this turn to the contemporary tricky, though, is that it can be difficult to differentiate between the high-quality or intellectually sophisticated material and the latest shocks of the new.  Thus the vitality and relentless planning that I witnessed in the offices at Contemporary Istanbul.  The stakes are great, and in that same din of voices praising the majesty of Istanbul, there’s the challenge for the collector of finding the consultant, critic, or gallery owner to listen to for the right advise.

     Orchestrating the event may require skill and patience, but all of it takes the generous support of sponsors and patrons to bring the fair to fruition.  Akbank Private banking is the main underwriter this year.  As the push for greater social engagement and civic responsibility spreads among the large companies in Turkey, this can be seen in the banking sector with the opening of private galleries and cultural centers around town. Like the fair itself, these permanent institutions in Istanbul provide funding and the exhibition spaces necessary for contemporary artists, young and old, to showcase their works to wide audiences.  Just as the fair is not simply a four-day affair, so too contemporary art isn’t just a highlight for the end of summer.  A second crucial sponsor of the fair is the Doğan Media group who have created an international platform for the distributions of advertisements and news in 28 magazines, across 13 countries, that will reach over 3.5 million readers—clearly a sign of the global reach of contemporary art today.

      Dr Balcıoğlu and his team express great confidence in the ability of Istanbul to capture people’s attention and win their admiration.  The hope for this year’s fair is that art inside may offer a complement to the beauty outside.  As Istanbul prepares for 2010, when it will take the title as Cultural Capital of Europe, Contemporary Istanbul 2008 should be a real coming-out party.

October 15, Wednesday, PREVIEW

-  12.00 - 14.00  Lunch ( by invitation only )

- 14.00 - 22.00  Preview ( For Press and Guests ), CI Event Space

- 19.00 - 21.00  CI'08 Opening Cocktail Party, CI Event Space

                        ( by invitation only )

- 19.00 - 21.00  "Akbank Private Banking" Reception, VIP Lounge

                              ( by invitation only )

- 21.30 -          "Metamorphosis" CI'08 Opening Party, The Hall

October 16, Thursday

-  9.30 - 11.00   Proje 4 L Breakfast, ( special event - by invitation only )

- 19.00 - 22.00  DJ Performance, CI Event Space

- 22.00 - 00.00  Akbank Art Jazz Party , Akbank Art ( by invitation only )

- 22.00 - 01.00  Istanbul Modern -CI'08 Party, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art

- 22.00 - 01.30  "Luscious Party" , Lush Hotel ( by invitation only )

October 17, Friday

- 18.30 - 21.00  DJ Performance,  CI Event Space

-  21.30 - 01.00  "Art on the Roof" , The Sofa Hotel Art*8 Lounge

                                ( by invitation only)

-   22.00 -          " Party at 360 _stanbul", 360 _stanbul

October 18, Saturday

-   9.30 - 11.00   Breakfast, Akbank Art ( by invitation only )

- 19.00 - 21.00  DJ Performance,  CI Event Space

- 19:00 - 22:00 "To an evening with Art" , VIP Lounge (by invitation only)

- 22.00 -         "Bosphorus Party", BahÁe_ehir  University, Be_ikta_ Campus

October 19, Sunday

- 18.00 - 21.00  Dj performance , CI Event Space