Emin Mahir Balcıoğlu is doing his bit to alleviate the "unbearable heaviness of being an artist", which is his own paraphrase of a famous title and an underlying theme in his life's mission as an art exhibitor. An architect by training and the former founder and director of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum and Museum of Modern Art, Dr. Balcıoğlu is the main brain behind "Contemporary Istanbul", an adventurously large project which will host some 75 art curators and artists in the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center (Lütfi Kırdar in Harbiye) from 3-6 December.

"Art is all about transgression", he says. "In former eras (Renaissance, for example) there were codes, rules, and themes to which artists must adhere, and struggle against to find new paths. Now, there are no rules to break, no constraints. This total freedom is actually very difficult for creators. That's why we see a Users' Manual with the art these days." Creating their own ground rules, Dr. Balcıoğlu and his team have assembled the 2009 version of Contemporary Istanbul, now in its fourth year. Four prior years of running the non-profit organization Art Istanbul fomented the need for breaking free from the somewhat insular local constraints that prevented Istanbul from being a major international art center. His colleague Ali Güreli says: "If we don't focus on international collaboration, this fair won't mean anything. It will be just a community playground". Balcıoğlu's and Güreli's magnificent transgression (to paraphrase another title) is intended to elevate Turkey to international art exhibition standards. And its Users' Manual will give you a road map to what's going on in the art world—on a global scale.

Twelve countries, in addition to Turkey, will be represented. All the exhibitors have been selected by a jury that judged over 100 applicants this year. The scope of the four-day event includes Painting, Sculpture, Plastic Arts, Gravure, Works on paper, Photography, Installation, Video, Original Graphics, Multiples, and Limited Editions.


INTERVIEW
I attended Contemporary Istanbul last year and loved it. What will be different this year?

This year we are striving to create a strong identity. If you fly in from another country, you'll see things you might not see anywhere else. There are more countries represented this year. We'll show trailers from a new Turkish film whose production we supported. On day #2 we'll have a contemporary dance performance. One of our conferences will feature Dr. Robert Morgan [noted American art historian and author], who will speak about "The Death of Art Criticism". We will also debut our new magazine, "CIE" which stands for Contemporary Istanbul Etcetera. It's a cultural lifestyle publication in both Turkish and English that focuses on modern art, architecture, music, and behind-the-scenes fashion.

How has Turkey been regarded in the world's visual arts scene?

It hasn't even been on the map — no recognition at all. We've had discussions about its marginality; we were always "other", as observed by the major centers. But things have been changing quite dramatically. It's vibrant now, and globalization has helped. Turkish artists started living abroad only 4-5 years ago. We want to push forward to be a major player. What has helped a lot lately is Istanbul's linkup with Berlin and New York. Though these three cities have differing characters, they are transforming each other.

Why is contemporary art important for Turkey?

In the recent past, foreign gallery owners have made comments about Turkish art like: "There are no traditional traits!" This kind of judgment, which is coming from both the East and the West, is upsetting. On another note, the emerging affluent class here is realizing art is a good investment, and that's where we can realize our mission: to provide the underpinning for both collectors and artists. Previously, artwork here was undervalued, and I don't think it will stay that way. Contemporary Istanbul is helping to create a strong presence, both locally and internationally. We intend it to be an historical juncture of visual arts that places Istanbul at the center of the map. Turks are fast learners; Istanbul is already becoming a major destination for the arts.

How much art sold at the 2008 C.I.?

Last year we sold 13 million dollars' worth. It might seem like a lot to you, but it's peanuts compared to the billions sold in the European art markets. In a crowd of 50,000, typically around 10% will purchase art.

What are the most difficult, and the easiest aspects of putting on this show?

The toughest part is getting sponsorship and dealing with deficits. We've also had problems with foreign galleries cancelling because transporting large pieces of art is expensive. The best part is realizing we've already become a brand name and now are in the position of being able to pick and choose the galleries who participate.

What countries will participate this year?

Representing 30-40% of the galleries in the exhibition will be Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, Great Britain, New York City [I guess that's a country], India, South Korea, Dubai, Israel, Greece, and Syria, which will have its own section, with six artists, and completely sponsored by us. We selected Syria to be this year's featured up-and-coming art market. That country, which is an ex-Soviet satellite, only got internet access in 2001. It's ready to take off. Germany will have the biggest representation, with ten galleries, eight of which are from Berlin—a result of our "sistership" with that city.

What is your personal hope for the future of art in Turkey?

Ali Bey said: All of it should be set at the same value as around the world. And I say: we all have one universal artistic language.


Contemporary Istanbul Fair & Exhibition
3-6 December (11:00 - 21:00)
Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center (Lütfi Kırdar)
Gümüs Caddesi (behind Askeri Müze), Harbiye

Entrance Fees
Regular  20,00 TL
Discount*  8,00 TL
www.biletix.com
*Students, teachers, and over 65

http://contemporaryistanbul.com/
Tel: +90 212 244 7171 (117)