ARTANKARA 10th International Contemporary Art Fair was a feast for the eyes once again this year. Held at ATO Congresium, the fair attracted intense interest for five days and witnessed magnificent moments.
The fair, which was open March 6-10, welcomed art lovers with 8000 artworks by more than 1600 artists from 45 countries under the roof of 152 exhibitors. With over 100 performances, workshops and workshops, 33 panels and interviews, 48 music concerts, the fair offered unforgettable moments to its visitors. Bilgin Aygül, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ArtAnkara International Contemporary Art Fair, David Horvath, Deputy Ambassador of Hungary, Süleyman Dodi Dündar, President of BRHD, Okan Sartaş, President of TÜSGAD, and Bedri Baykam, President of the International Plastic Arts Association and artist, took part in the opening ceremony that started with a music concert by Hungarian artist Dominica Acs.
Following the opening speeches during the fair, the traditional “Artist Honor Award” was presented to Yalçın Gökçebağ, the “Institution Honor Award” to ARTAM, and the “Contribution to Art Award” to İsmail Küçükkaya. In addition to the traditional awards for the 10th year, this year, awards were also presented in 7 different categories. Accordingly; the “Art Writer Honorary Award” was given to Derya Yücel, the “Art Project Honorary Award” to the Young / Contemporary Art Painting Competition – Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the “Promising Late Artist Honorary Award” to Emine Bostancı, the “Collector Honorary Award” to Ulaş Değirmenci, the “Art Museum Honorary Award” to Hacettepe University Painting and Sculpture Museum, the “Art Media Honorary Award” to ArtDog, and the “Sister Country Honorary Award” to Hungary.
The fair, which was visited by Hasan Doğan, the Special Secretary to the President, Batuhan Mumcu, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, Mansur Yavaş, the Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, Hüseyin Can Güner, the Candidate for Mayor of Çankaya Municipality, Yusuf Ziya Selçuk, the Former Minister of National Education, and more than 40 ambassadors and cultural attachés, attracted great attention from both protocol and foreign missions. Additionally, with participants and visitors from all 81 provinces of Turkey, along with the participation of over 300 foreign artists, the presence at ArtAnkara demonstrated once again that it will be a sought-after international fair in the coming years.
At the fair, where Hungary participated as the Sister Country, Hungarian artists provided a unique experience with music performances and live shows. Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum, Mustafa Ayaz Museum, and Imoga Istanbul Graphic Arts Museum also met art lovers at the fair. Works of cornerstone artists in the field such as Devrim Erbil, Bedri Baykam, Ertuğrul Ateş, Mustafa Ayaz, Ahmet Nejat, Ergin İnan, and Süleyman Saim Tekcan were also presented to art enthusiasts.
While the world-renowned ArtDoll artist Anya Manya performed live, Russian artist Alexander Shadrin met art enthusiasts with his artworks and workshops. Additionally, an exhibition featuring 14 artists from the Ilya Repin Academy of Arts, which has nurtured some of the most important artists in Russian realism, enriched the event with workshops, live performances, and greeted guests.
77.000 art enthusiasts gathered at ArtAnkara!
At the fair, which had a wide range of participants from the United States to Russia, from Iran to Mexico and South Korea, 77,000 art enthusiasts showed great interest in ArtAnkara. Bilgin Aygül, the Chairman of the Board of Atis Fuarcılık A.Ş., expressed their satisfaction with the increasing interest shown in the fair every year. “For the past 10 years, we have been working together to advance the fair, as we envisioned from the beginning, to bring it to a more prominent position in the art market of Anatolia’s neighboring and surrounding countries, bringing together galleries, collectors, and artists, while also serving as a grand celebration of art with projects involving new media, new art movements, young artists, and students. After 10 years, we are delighted to see that we are getting closer to our goal,” he said. Emphasizing the importance of art reaching and being shared with a broader audience, Aygül announced that the ArtAnkara team will also promote various events throughout the year, including “CPC Istanbul Cinema, Photography, and Video Technologies Fair,” “ArtContact Istanbul 4th International Contemporary Art Fair,” “Craft Istanbul 5th International Handicrafts and Design Fair,” “Art in Industry Festival,” and “Fresh Ankara 3rd Contemporary Art Exhibition.”
Additionally, we extend our gratitude to BRHD, TÜSGAD, JW Marriott, and all our sponsors and supporters who have been supporting us since the first day.