Contemporary Istanbul finishes with 67,000 visitors

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Picasso’s ‘Nu allonge et tete d’homme de profil’ sold for 1.9 million euros.

This year’s Contemporary Istanbul has ended with 748 artists, 3,000 works and 22 countries. A total of 95 art galleries and 13 art spaces entered the fair. This year, 67 percent of the art work was sold and the value of the pieces at the fair reached to 180 million euros. A total of 67,000 people visited the contemporary art fair this year.

Picasso’s “Nu allonge et tete d’homme de profil” work was sold for 1.9 million euros, while Andy Warhol’s “Flowers” sold for 900,000 euros. Joan Miro’s “Deux femmes dans la nuit” was sold for 390,000 euros and Carole A. Feuerman’s “Brooke with Beach Ball” sold for $275,000. Robert Longo’s “Untitled (Shark 7)” sold for 350,000 euros. 

New guest: China 

Next year, the New Horizons’ guest will be China. This year, the New Horizons section explored contemporary artistic expression from the surrounding countries in the region. Having previously featured contemporary art from Syria, Iran, the Gulf and Central and Eastern Europe, the 8th edition’s focus is on Russia, with Contemporary Istanbul playing host to galleries, artists, curators, publications, art critics and collectors from Russia. Marina Gisich, St. Petersburg; the Anna Nova Gallery, St. Petersburg; Blue Square Gallery, Washington; Galerie Iragui, Moscow, Paris; Pop/off/art, Moscow and Berlin and Art.re.Flex Gallery, St. Petersburg are among the galleries which will be hosted in the New Horizons section. Hermann Nitsch, one of the founders of Vienna Actionism, combined performance art with painting for a powerful effect during the opening on Nov 7. Nitsch presented “Malakt,” his 66th painting performance. Nitsch has held 138 performances, the first one being in Vienna in 1962 and the last one being in Leipzig in June 2013. He has also staged 65 painting performances, of which the first one took place in Vienna in 1960 and last one in Prinzendorf in August 2013. Nitsch’s 66th painting performance will be exhibited in the Istanbul Congress Center throughout the fair. Contemporary Istanbul will be held during Nov. 12-16 of next year.