Emerging artists to come together at CI Bloom

ISTANBUL

The fourth edition of the CI Bloom contemporary art fair, organized by Contemporary Istanbul to support the development of contemporary art in Türkiye, will welcome art enthusiasts at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center.

Ali Güreli, board chair of Contemporary Istanbul, shared details about the fair during a press conference held at The Marmara Hotel. The event will take place from April 16 to 20, starting with a preview on April 16 and featuring 25 contemporary art galleries.

Güreli stated that four emerging galleries from Istanbul, Ankara, Diyarbakır and Eskişehir will participate, along with four art initiatives — three based in Istanbul and one from Diyarbakır. A total of 263 artists will present 520 works at the fair.

Highlighting their close monitoring of global art markets, Güreli said, “What we’re observing is a general contraction in the global art market. We’ve seen this in the fairs we follow. While not a dramatic drop, there is a noticeable slowdown of around 10 to 15 percent, and in some cases even up to 20 percent. We aim to understand the reasons behind this.”

He emphasized that one of the goals of the fair is to provide a platform where artists, collectors, galleries and art lovers can connect. “Our main goal is to encourage young galleries and those from outside Istanbul, and to support the growth of art in cities across Anatolia as much as we can,” he said.

Noting that it’s difficult for art fairs to succeed purely as commercial events, Güreli added, “This needs to evolve and expand, sharing the city’s experiences, pleasures and emotions with visitors from outside Istanbul, allowing them to feel this, and also showcasing cultural highlights beyond the fair itself. This is how we define this cultural event. We will complement it with conferences, parallel exhibitions and year-round activities.”

Güreli also announced that university students will be able to visit CI Bloom free of charge between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on April 17 and 18.

About the fair

Each year, CI Bloom brings together emerging artists, members of the international press and art professionals. This edition features 25 galleries and four art initiatives, continuing to support the development and diversity of art produced in Türkiye.

This year, Can Büyükberber’s work The Iconic Glow will be on display at the BMW booth, presented by Borusan Otomotiv, the official distributor of BMW in Türkiye.

Among the participating galleries are: 44A/Sıtkı Kösemen, Anna Laudel, Art On Istanbul, Belm'Art Space, Bozlu Art Project, C.A.M, Chi Art Gallery, DG Art Gallery, DIRIMART, Galeri 77, Gülden Bostancı Gallery, Martch Art Project, MUSE Contemporary, One Arc Gallery, Öktem Aykut, Pi Artworks, Pilot Gallery, Piramid Sanat, Rıdvan Kuday Gallery, RS Sanat Alanı, SIMBART Projects, Summart, The Key Art Gallery, Vision Art Platform and ZILBERMAN.

This year, The Key Art Gallery, Chi Art Gallery and RS Sanat Alanı will make their debut at CI Bloom.

For those unable to visit in person, a parallel auction-style digital platform will be available, providing direct access to both local and international art lovers.