It is a big week for art in Istanbul, and not only because of the Contemporary Istanbul art fair, launching on Thursday. There are several important exhibitions opening, many as part of the Art Istanbul festival of contemporary culture, which also includes talks, guided tours and extended opening hours.
It's like they say. You wait ages for a renowned Polish sculptor, then two come along (almost) at once. From November 20 there is Magdelena Abakanowicz at Akbank Sanat on Istiklal Caddesi, then the next day Galeri Mana opens Pawel Althamer: 6 Sculptures, featuring pieces from an installation originally commissioned by the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin. Hasan Bulent Kahraman, curator of the Akbank Sanat exhibition, will give a talk at 6.30pm on November 24 titled Abakanowicz and Human: Art, Primitiveness and Technology.
From November 22 Kuad Gallery in Beşiktaş welcomes the influential American conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth and the first presentation of The Wake, a four-year-old ongoing project based on the James Joyce novel Finnegan's Wake. Words from the novel are set against the wall in white neon lights. There is more conceptual neon light down the road at Egeran Gallery in Karaköy, with an exhibition by Ivan Navarro, Light at the End of the Tunnel, also open from November 22. Navarro will give a performance in Dolapdere following the opening reception, and a talk at the gallery at noon on November 23. But what a pity nobody thought to schedule a public conversation between these two artists. Then again, Kuad Gallery isn't listed as an Art Istanbul participant. Clearly other galleries would have been staging their exhibitions and openings this week regardless of the festival as well.
Perhaps the most significant new exhibition of Turkish art is at Kare Galery in Nişantaşı. Adnan Çoker is one of the leading figures in 20th-century art here and this exhibition features five new works in the Minimal Symmetry series, the last installment of which was exhibited 24 years ago, as well as a retrospective collection from the artist's long career.
The week also sees some new arrivals on the scene. Kampf Gallery has relocated from New York to Karaköy, opening with clay sculptures by the Czech artist Richard Stipl on November 15. Nearby in Tophane, Mixer Arts will be a new space dedicated to supporting sustainable production of art, something that has perhaps been missing in Istanbul's rapid ascent to the status of Regional Art Capital. The space opens on November 23 with a group show.
If you still haven't been to Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence – a permanent installation reflecting the story of his novel of the same name – there are guided tours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, especially for Art Istanbul. From 7pm to midnight on Friday November 23 the Tophane Art Walk Long Night takes in 13 of the booming art district's galleries.
Full listings on the Art Istanbul website.
