Contemporary Istanbul takes advantage of exactly this interplay, as a platform for international galleries and artists, but also as a meeting place for collectors who see art not only as a cultural event, but also as a social one. In its 20th edition, Contemporary Istanbul once again proved itself to be a bridge between the past and the present: for five days, Tersane Istanbul was transformed into a stage where the city’s history was combined with the energy of contemporary art. 52 galleries from 16 countries presented a total of 931 works by 579 artists, attracting over 54,000 visitors to the Bosphorus.

One highlight of this year’s edition was Focus America, a curated section that showcased influential galleries and voices from the United States. It was accompanied by a two-day public program that examined the transformation of the global art market and its intersections. Guests included representatives from renowned institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as private collectors from New York and California. This demonstrated how strongly Istanbul is internationally connected today and how naturally the fair contributes to dialogue between continents and perspectives. In addition to many established international names such as Tony Cragg and Gregor Hildebrandt, fascinating newer positions could also be discovered.

For example, the work of Turkish artist couple Özlem Günyol and Mustafa Kunt, who formed melted US dollar coins into a sculptural work: a piece that is both poetic and political, raising questions about value, identity, and transformation. A work owned by the Sigg Foundation, created by the actor Johnny Depp, also attracted attention: the seemingly abstract painting Birds (1998) is a perfect example of how art, celebrity-status, and collector passion continue to intertwine at Contemporary Istanbul.

Like that, the contrasts that characterize Istanbul run through the art fair like a golden thread. In every space, between established artists and experimental positions, between historic buildings and contemporary locations, it becomes apparent how the city itself orchestrates the encounter between cultures, ideas, and materials.

The Zeyrek Çinili Hamam is a true masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and a fascinating example of a successful blend of tradition and modernity. It was built between 1530 and 1540 by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan and is located in the historic district of Zeyrek in Istanbul. After 13 years of restoration, it reopened in September 2023 and now offers a unique blend of historic hammam, museum, art gallery, and contemporary art venue. During Contemporary Istanbul, the Zeyrek Çinili Hamam opened Where the River Burns, a site-specific solo exhibition by French artist Juliette Minchin. Minchin was invited by curator Anlam de Coster to develop an artwork that resonates with the multi-layered material history, architectural memory, and ongoing rituals of the hammam.

In her intervention, she transforms wax, tin, and paper through a kind of alchemical process, opening up poetic approaches to themes such as purification, divination, and care. Where the River Burns interweaves rituals, architecture, and the transformation of materials through heat. Minchin’s installations move between the sacred and the everyday, the monumental and the intimate. Whether in wax, tin, or paper, she captures fleeting traces of longing, gestures of care, and acts of devotion, transforming the hammam into a space where material becomes metaphor and the flow of ritual begins to burn. Minchin’s exhibition is the second project to be held as part of the contemporary art program at Zeyrek Çinili Hamam.