art basel hong kong 2026 exhibitor list announced

Art Basel Hong Kong has announced its exhibitor list for the 2026 edition, featuring 240 galleries from 42 countries and territories, roughly the same size as last year's 242 galleries. The fair runs March 27–29 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with preview days on March 25–26. New additions include 32 first-time exhibitors from Australia, Japan, Turkey, France, Germany, and the US, while 33 galleries from the previous edition are absent—some due to closures (Blum, Clearing, Kasmin) or acquisitions (Millan bought by Almeida & Dale). A new sector called Echoes will showcase works created in the last five years, and the Encounters sector will be curated by a team led by Mami Kataoka. Media artist Ellen Pau will oversee the film program for the first time, and Shahzia Sikander has been commissioned to create a public artwork for the M+ Museum facade.

Pioneering Modernist Fahrelnissa Zeid Returns to the Spotlight in London

The Turkish-Jordanian modernist Fahrelnissa Zeid is the subject of a new solo exhibition titled "Immersion" at Dirimart London, curated by art historian Adila Laïdi-Hanieh. This marks the artist's first gallery solo show in the United Kingdom this century, featuring several works from her estate that have never been publicly exhibited. The selection spans various periods of her career, highlighting her transition from monumental geometric abstractions to her late-career expressionist portraits.

‘Overworked’: Çağla Ulusoy in Conversation With ArtReview

ArtReview and Dirimart London are hosting a conversation between artist Çağla Ulusoy and ArtReview editor Fi Churchman about Ulusoy's book 'Overworked', which features 83 selected abstract paintings and accompanying collages. The event takes place on 6 June 2026 at Dirimart's London gallery, coinciding with the group exhibition 'Colour is the Place', which includes Ulusoy's work alongside artists Hashel Al Lamki, Tala Worrell, and Berke Yazıcıoğlu. Ulusoy's practice integrates lived experiences from various cultures into abstract compositions using materials like acrylic, oil paint, sand, and wax.

Open Letter Published by Activist Group Calling for Venice Biennale to Eject Israel Signed by Nearly 200 Participating Artists and Curators

An activist group called Art Not Genocide Alliance has published an open letter demanding the Venice Biennale eject Israel from this year's exhibition. The letter has been signed by nearly 200 artists, curators, and arts workers participating in the 2026 Biennale, including members of the main exhibition's curatorial team and contributors to several national pavilions. The letter accuses Israel of genocide and apartheid, and references the 2024 Biennale where Israel's pavilion remained closed due to similar protests.

Director of Contemporary Istanbul urges Turkish art to remain ‘radical and clever’ in face of political tension

Contemporary Istanbul (CI) opened its 20th anniversary edition at the Tersane Istanbul complex, a restored Ottoman shipyard, bringing together 51 galleries from 16 countries. The fair coincided with the Istanbul Biennial, drawing a larger crowd of collectors and museum groups than the previous year. Works by leading Turkish artists such as Nil Yalter, Güneş Terkol, and Azade Köker were on view, with prices ranging from €1,000 for emerging artists to over €2m for a James Rosenquist painting. Despite high spirits, the fair unfolded against a backdrop of political tension following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, ongoing protests, and increasing censorship. Galleries displayed politically and socially engaged works, including Rasim Aksan's homoerotic triptych and Fatoş İrwen's prison-made fabric piece, while collectors sought discounts amid Turkey's high inflation and economic volatility.

dana awartani venice biennale 2026 saudi arabia

Palestinian Saudi artist Dana Awartani has been selected to represent Saudi Arabia at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Her pavilion will be curated by Antonia Carver, director of Art Jameel, with assistance from Hafsa Alkhudairi. Awartani, known for her material interpretations of conflict in the Middle East, draws on Saudi Arabia's craft and cultural legacies, often collaborating with local artisans or displaced craftspeople. Her recent works include a response to heritage site destruction at the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale and an archive of recreated stone carvings at the 15th Sharjah Biennial.

art abu dhabi focus nigeria turkey

Abu Dhabi Art returns in 2025 with 142 galleries from 34 countries, introducing two new Focus sectors: Focus: Nigeria Spotlight and Focus: Modern Türkiye. The Nigeria section, curated by Tola Akerele, features seven galleries including kò, SOTO Gallery, and O’DA Gallery, showcasing artists like Samuel Nnorom, Bara Sketchbook, and Rufus Ogundele. Focus: Modern Türkiye, curated by Doris Benhalegua Karako, presents modern masters such as Fahrelnissa Zeid, Burhan Doğançay, and Gülsün Karamustafa through Istanbul-based galleries including DG Art Gallery and Projects, Art on Istanbul Gallery, and BüroSarıgedik.

June 2025 Exhibitions -

ArtDog Istanbul's editors have curated a selection of standout exhibitions opening across Istanbul in June 2025. Highlights include 'A Day’s Story, A Lifetime’s Truth' at Galeri 77, a joint show by Bayram Demir and İlker Kayalı exploring personal memory and collective mythology; solo exhibitions by Jorinde Voigt ('365 Seasons') and Mustafa Hulusi ('Breathing In the World') at Dirimart's two locations; 'Extraordinary Minas' at Pera Museum, celebrating its 20th anniversary with Kütahya tile and ceramic works by Minas Avramidis; and Ali Kazma's 'Landscapes of the Mind' at Istanbul Modern, alongside shows by Nermin Er at Galeri Nev Istanbul and Pelda Aytaş at Gülden Bostancı.

After a turbulent period of reorganisation, the 18th Istanbul Biennial favours futurity over futility

The 18th Istanbul Biennial, titled "The Three-Legged Cat," has opened after a turbulent period of reorganization. Curated by Christine Tohmé, the biennial unfolds over three years instead of the usual two, featuring 47 artists—only six from Turkey, with many from the Middle East. The exhibition spans eight venues, including a former cone factory and a French orphanage, and includes works such as Naomi Rincón-Gallardo's video installation on opossum resilience and Khalil Rabah's site-specific intervention with oil barrels and saplings. The biennial's budget was raised from €2m to €6.5m, mostly funded by Koç Holdings, following controversy over the initial appointment of curator Defne Ayas, which was rejected by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), leading to Tohmé's eventual selection.

Turkish, international artists meet audiences at Art Thessaloniki

The 9th Art Thessaloniki Contemporary Art Fair opened at the TIF Helexpo exhibition center in Thessaloniki, Greece, running until May 17, 2026. Istanbul-based Gallery Binyil presented a group exhibition titled "Meeting of Cultures," curated by Ilknur Sanal, featuring works by Turkish artists such as Bedri Baykam, Husamettin Kocan, Suleyman Saim Tekcan, Yigit Yazici, Adil Ocak, Tugce Calimbay, Filiz Kiprik, Huseyin Rustemoglu, Can Ozsobay, and Hasan Sefa Sofuoglu, alongside Greek artists Lia Eleftheriadou, Katerina Rimpatsiou, and Lena Morfogeni. The exhibition will travel to Gallery Binyil in Istanbul from June 1 to 19, and then to Flamm Hotel in Golturkbuku from June 24 to July 27.

Izmir opens new art center backed by Centre Pompidou

The Lucien Arkas Art Center has officially opened in Izmir, Turkey, marking the seventh venue in the Arkas Sanat network. Launched by collector Lucien Arkas in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, the multidisciplinary space debuted with a preview exhibition titled "Sonia & Robert Delaunay: The Invention of Modern Color." The center is designed to host a diverse range of programming, including exhibitions, educational initiatives, and various forms of artistic production.

Rediscovering Roger Fry, the overlooked Bloomsbury artist who helped bring Cézanne and Van Gogh to the world

The Charleston museum in Firle, East Sussex, will mount a major solo exhibition of paintings by Roger Fry (1866-1934) from 15 November 2025 to 15 March 2026. Fry, a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group, was a polymath who introduced Post-Impressionists like Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin to British and American audiences, co-founded the Omega Workshops and the Burlington Magazine, taught at Cambridge, and curated at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The show brings together nearly 80 works, over 60 from private collections, including portraits of friends like E.M. Forster and Vanessa Bell, and landscapes that reveal his experimental range from Gauguin-esque outlines to Cubism.

Historic Istanbul exhibition reveals century of growth and creative vision

Yapı Kredi Culture Arts and Publishing has opened a landmark exhibition in Istanbul titled "Imprints on the Century: The Koç Group and the Arts," running until November 29, 2026, at the Yapı Kredi Culture Center in Galatasaray. Curated by YKYM Gallery Director Didem Yazıcı over two years, the show commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Koç Group, tracing its evolution from a small business registered by Vehbi Koç in 1926 to a global industrial conglomerate. The exhibition draws on archives from the Sadberk Hanım Museum, Arter, and the Rahmi M. Koç Museums, highlighting the group's contributions to archaeology, museology, contemporary art, publishing, and theater, including milestones like the first color film in Turkey and the Bauhaus-inspired Küçük Sahne theater.

With Nearly 30,000 Clay Earth Bricks, Dana Awartani Remakes History in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion

Dana Awartani, a Jeddah- and New York-based artist of mixed Palestinian, Saudi, Jordanian, and Syrian descent, has created the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale using nearly 30,000 clay earth bricks. The installation, titled "May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones," replicates traditional mosaic motifs sourced from over 20 cultural heritage sites across the Arab world that have been destroyed by human conflict. Awartani emphasizes collaboration, crediting numerous skilled craftsmen—economic migrants to Saudi Arabia—who worked alongside her, and her practice blends formal training at Central St. Martins with Islamic geometry and illumination studies in Turkey.

Nilbar Güreş on Representing Turkey at the 61st Venice Biennale

Nilbar Güreş, the artist representing Turkey at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026), responds to a questionnaire from ArtReview about her upcoming exhibition. She expresses exhaustion with having to explain herself to Western audiences and critiques the white, male-dominated art world. Her inspiration for the pavilion comes from this disgust and fatigue, and she states that the Biennale's theme, "In Minor Keys," did not guide her preparation. Güreş also voices disillusionment with the art world's silence on humanitarian crises, particularly the bombing of hospitals and children in Palestine, and notes that artists speaking out on Palestine face censorship and exclusion.

Troy, ancient site in western Turkey, hosts expansive contemporary art exhibition

The Troy Museum in western Turkey has opened a contemporary art exhibition titled "Emanet" (meaning "trust," "legacy," or "safekeeping") by Turkish artist Vuslat. The show, running from May 25 to July 25, features sculptures, drawings, installations, and sound works placed alongside ancient artifacts in the museum's main halls and gardens, marking the first time contemporary art has been integrated into the museum's primary exhibition spaces near the legendary site of Troy.

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan Channels Istanbul’s Haunted Histories

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan Channels Istanbul’s Haunted Histories

Hera Büyüktaşçıyan has opened a major solo exhibition, 'I Know You As Her', at Istanbul's Arter museum. The show features new and existing works, including sculptures, installations, and watercolors, that explore submerged histories and spectral presences within the city's urban fabric, particularly around the historic Pera district.

In a new exhibition, Turkey displays the success of its heavyweight heritage drive

Turkey has opened a new exhibition titled "The Golden Age of Archaeology" at a national library in Ankara, showcasing 570 ancient artifacts—most unearthed in the past two years and displayed for the first time. Highlights include 11,500-year-old Neolithic vessels, a Bronze Age tablet revealing a previously unknown language (Kalasma), and a repatriated bronze statue of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, which was smuggled out of Turkey in the 1960s and recently returned from the Cleveland Museum of Art after a legal battle. The exhibition is part of the government's Heritage for the Future project, which spends around $150 million annually on excavations, visitor centers, and museums, with active digs rising to about 800.

'So Happy You Came' new paintings by Diana Young

Diana Young, a nearly 90-year-old artist who has been painting for over 80 years, presents her new exhibition "So Happy You Came" at Gold/Smith Gallery in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, from June 18 to July 21. The show features her latest works in acrylic and tempera, which emphasize motion, line, and dynamic interlocking shapes rather than realism, inspired by outdoor locations and her profound sense of place. A reception will be held on June 21.

Delicacy as Resistance. Interview with the Curator of the Turkey Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

La delicatezza come resistenza. Intervista alla curatrice del Padiglione Turchia alla Biennale di Venezia

For the 2026 Venice Biennale, the Turkey Pavilion, commissioned by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), will present "A Kiss on the Eyes" by artist Nilbar Güreş, curated by Başak Doğa Temür. The exhibition takes its title from a Turkish expression conveying affectionate closeness without intrusion, and features a mix of new productions and earlier works spanning sculpture, installation, painting, and works on paper and fabric. In an interview, curator Temür explains that the project avoids a retrospective or didactic approach, instead creating a spatial rhythm of approach, pause, and slight withdrawal, where intimacy, politics, irony, and fragility press against one another.

Apre a Venezia una nuova fondazione per l’arte. Il progetto dell’artista curdo Ahmet Güneştekin a Palazzo Gradenigo

Kurdish artist Ahmet Güneştekin has opened a new foundation in Venice at Palazzo Gradenigo, a 16th-century building in the Castello district. The foundation's inaugural exhibition, titled "Sessizlik/Silenzio/Silence," will open on May 6 during the Venice Biennale. The show features 11 new bronze sculptures and 11 oil paintings. The palace, closed to the public for 17 years, was purchased by the artist and is undergoing a conservative restoration led by architects Alberto Torsello and Elisa Santoro, set to complete by late 2026. The foundation, entirely self-funded through sales of Güneştekin's works and royalties, aims to provide exhibition and training opportunities for young artists, especially from Turkey, in an international context.

Workshop exhibition opens at AKM

The Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul has launched an exhibition featuring 41 works by 21 artists produced during the fourth Arnica Art Land workshop. Held in the ancient city of Aizanoi, the multidisciplinary project encouraged artists to create works inspired by the Temple of Zeus and the world’s first stock exchange. The resulting show, curated by Fırat Neziroğlu, includes experimental practices such as sound sculptures and live body painting alongside traditional plastic arts.

Collectible design fair’s second New York outing marries ‘folly’ and practicality

The Collectible design fair returns to New York for its second edition, taking place from September 4-7 at the WSA building in the Financial District during Armory Week. Founded in Brussels in 2018 by Clélie Debehault and Liv Vaisberg, the fair brings together international galleries, designers, and architects for a curated showcase of 21st-century design. This year's edition occupies the 39th floor, spanning over 30,000 square feet, and features six curated sections including a buzzy section titled "In Praise of Folly" curated by Architectural Digest's Hannah Martin. Around 60% of exhibitors are from the United States, with the rest from Europe and beyond, including Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, and Turkey.

Topkapı Palace opens new Tile Art Gallery in Mabeyn section

Topkapı Palace in Istanbul has opened a new Tile Art Gallery in its Mabeyn section, featuring a restored historic passage that connects the Mabeyn area with the Harem-i Hümayun. The gallery, called the Mabeyn Yolu (Route) Tile Art Gallery, showcases the stylistic and technical evolution of Ottoman tile art from Iznik to Kütahya, displaying tiles that were previously kept in storage. National Palaces President Professor Yasin Yıldız announced that the project took nearly three years and includes tiles bearing the names of Ottoman sultans from Osman Gazi to Sultan Selim II, as well as couplets from the 11th-century poem "Qasida al-Munfarija."

Interview on the Great Exhibition at the Colosseum Dedicated to Troy: 'Aeneas Is the Bridge Between Our Cultures'

Intervista sulla grande mostra al Colosseo dedicata a Troia: “Enea è il ponte tra le nostre culture”

A major exhibition titled "Troia e Roma. Miti, leggende, storie del Mediterraneo antico" will open at the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo in Rome on June 12, 2026, featuring over 220 artifacts from 19 Turkish museums, including 50 works never before seen by the Italian public. The show is curated with Sinem Düzgören, the new director of the Museo di Troia in Çanakkale, who arranged the loan of 100 works from her museum. The exhibition includes a monumental replica of the Trojan Horse and highlights the mythological and historical ties between Troy and Rome, with key pieces such as the Head of Augustus and a marble copy of the Aphrodite of Cnidus.

Türkiye's Topkapi Palace unveils new tile art gallery along historic Mabeyn route

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul has opened the Mabeyn Route Tile Art Gallery, a new permanent exhibition space inside a historic corridor that once connected the imperial reception area with the Imperial Harem. The gallery displays around 250 ceramic tiles, tracing the stylistic and technical evolution of Ottoman tile art from Iznik to Kutahya, with many pieces previously kept in storage and rarely seen by the public. The corridor was restored as part of a long-term program by the National Palaces Administration, and the gallery also features large-scale tiles inscribed with the names of Ottoman sultans and verses from a 11th-century poem.

Istanbul exhibition features artist voice via art at Karaköy Palace | Daily Sabah

The Kültür Medeniyet Vakfı (KÜME) opened its ArtıKÜME 2025 and ODAK exhibitions at Karaköy Palas in Istanbul on Saturday, featuring 25 projects across disciplines from digital art to calligraphy under the theme 'Mümkün' ('Possible'). The exhibition transforms the historic Karaköy Palas into a platform for experimental and process-driven works, with artists like Muharrem Dalhan presenting interactive installations such as 'Threshold,' which critiques algorithm-driven media environments. The ODAK project was also introduced as a platform tracking cultural production across Türkiye, with its first publication, the ODAK 2025 book, launched alongside the exhibition.

A Unique Ebru Art Exhibition - Painting on Water Opens in Bishkek

The Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts named after Gapar Aitiev is set to host a specialized exhibition of Ebru art, the traditional Turkish technique of painting on water. Organized by the Ebristan public foundation and supported by the Turkish Embassy, the event features live masterclasses where artists will demonstrate the creation of symbolic imagery, including the national flags of Turkey and Kyrgyzstan and the Batken region's Aigul flower, before transferring the floating pigments onto solid surfaces.