From 23 to 27 September, Tersane Istanbul becomes the meeting point of the international art world once again.

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Istanbul’s autumn calendar turns, once more, toward the Golden Horn. Contemporary Istanbul, the fair that has spent two decades positioning the city as a bridge between East and West, opens its 21st edition this September at Tersane Istanbul — a historic shipyard reimagined as a stage for contemporary art. With more than seventy galleries arriving from twenty-four countries, the fair’s 2026 chapter is its most internationally ambitious yet, welcoming twenty debut exhibitors alongside more than fifteen hundred works from over five hundred artists.

This year introduces Focus: Asia, a two-year platform dedicated to the region’s fast-evolving contemporary art scene, alongside New Grounds, a new section spotlighting emerging galleries and next-generation practices. Presented under the support of Akbank as Main Partner, with Tersane Istanbul and BMW as Associate Partners, the fair continues to draw acquisitions from major museum groups across Toronto, New York, Paris, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai — evidence, year after year, that Istanbul’s place on the collector’s map is no longer emerging, but established.

Porterium World will once again be present on the ground in Istanbul, curating a VIP experience for a select circle of collectors and connoisseurs from Monaco and the French Riviera. Details of this year’s itinerary follow shortly — for now, mark the Golden Horn’s calendar, and prepare for five days where art, architecture, and the Bosphorus converge.