The second Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair was held between the 28th of November and 2nd December at the Lutfi Kirdar Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center. The fair, which holds an important role in advertising Istanbul and its cultural body to the international scene, was supervised by various well known collectors/advisers. 379 artists 2320 paintings, sculptures, photographs and digital art pieces were presented by 76 separate galleries. One of the visitors was Tourism and Culture Minister Ertugrul Günay who purchased Isik Ozisik's "Istanbul" painting for 950 YTL.
The fair displayed the works of world famous artists like Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Jeff Koons alongside pieces from contemporary regional and international artists. Various art critics, journalists, curators, art enthusiasts, and collectors visited the fair. 1428 pieces (%61) which were exhibited at Contemporary Istanbul were sold, with a total worth of 9.220.000 YTL (5,525,000 EURO). The most expensive are pieces are listed as below: Botero 640.000 YTL, Yilmaz Zenger 470.000 YTL, Alecos Fassianos 255.000 YTL, Gothard Graubner 220.000 YTL, Andy Warhol 175.000 YTL, Peter Halley 120.000 YTL
Contemporary Istanbul also was host to various interesting performance arts. The famous sculptor Ewerdt Hilgemann used his "Implosion" technique to create a steel sculpture on the opening day which later stayed in Istanbul. The Italian RAM project emphasized the East and Istanbul as itself. Mario Pieroni, Carla Accardi, Alberto Garruti and Giovanni Anselmo proved their modern stance regarding "space", "transformation", "east", "south" by reflecting Leonardo da Vinci's vision on Istanbul. Laura Cherubini presence, who also served as curator on the Venedic Bienalle last year, as head of the project could be interpreted that Contemporary Istanbul will very soon be in the limelight of the international art scene.
Contemporary Art has also become an hub for various young artists from around the world. This city which was chosen the 2010 European Cultural Capital is being visited by academics, artists, gallery owners and collectors from Europe, the Far East and Africa. Contemporary Istanbul's goals for 2010 involve consolidating Contemporary Istanbul as an institution by growing, diversifying, and accentuating its distinct style. It's aim is to be one of the top ten global expositions in the sector by the year 2010, becoming the “Istanbul” of Contemporary Art in the process.
Orhan Pamuk states, "Istanbul's fate is my fate: I am attached to this city because it has made me who I am" right at the beginning of his book, Istanbul, Memories and the City, and goes on to remind the reader that, "Flaubert, who visited Istanbul a hundred and two years before my birth, was struck by the variety of life in its teeming streets; in one of his letters he predicted that in a century's time it would be the capital of the world."