Contemporary Istanbul has unveiled the list of participating galleries for its 21st edition, set to take place at Tersane Istanbul from 22 to 27 September 2026. Bringing together galleries from four continents, the fair aims to position Istanbul as a dynamic meeting point for artists, curators, galleries, and collectors from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.
Presented with the support of Akbank as Main Partner, and Tersane Istanbul and BMW as Associate Partners, CI21 will feature more than 50 galleries from around the world. Seventeen galleries will participate in the fair for the first time, including Galerie Thomas Schulte (Berlin), Galerie Vallois (Paris), Galerie Tanit (Munich/Beirut), Michel Rein (Paris/Brussels), Pearl Lam Projects (Hong Kong/Shanghai), Whitestone Gallery (Hong Kong/Beijing), and Takato Kano Gallery (Tokyo).
Alongside the main gallery section, the fair’s New Grounds platform will spotlight emerging galleries and next-generation artistic practices. The 2026 edition will feature Friedrichs Pontone (New York), Ka (Ankara), Karpuchina Gallery (Prague), Method Gallery (New Delhi), Rast Gallery (Istanbul), and Shiva Zahed (Tehran/Istanbul).
The fair programme will begin with the invitation-only “At First Sight” preview on 22 September, followed by the VIP Preview on 23 September. General admission will run from 24 to 27 September at Tersane Istanbul.
