Contemporary Istanbul 2025

TAEX is delighted to present a special two-fold showcase for the 20th anniversary edition of Contemporary Istanbul 2025. Returning for the third time, the platform will present Marina Abramović Element, a collection by Marina Abramović and TAEX, and REBUILD, an exhibition by Atif Akin and Orkan Telhan curated by Dr Margarita Kuleva in booth A107, Hall A.

REBUILD is a site-specific show that draws inspiration from the richness of Istanbul's cultural layers and its remarkable capacity to rebuild itself after multiple crises. The show echoes the 18th Istanbul Biennale theme of self-preservation and futurities.

 

In the current moment of political upheaval and institutional fragility, the urgency of rebuilding extends beyond metaphor into immediate necessity. As democratic institutions strain under pressure and social contracts fracture, we find ourselves confronting the same fundamental question that has driven Istanbul's continuous renewal: how do we reconstruct not just our physical spaces, but our collective capacity for resilience and dialogue?

 

As part of the show, Orkan Telhan will present Night Sways, but Underground Listens, a meditation on the sediments of Istanbul from a microbial perspective. The sculpture and corresponding digital artworks translate the microbial signature of soil into electrical signals, creating a two-week log of subterranean life, seen on the screens as a series of time-lapses, portraits of microbial rhythms. Atif Akin will exhibit Golden Myths, a site-specific project based on modelling and 3D scanning of the Tersane area, where Contemporary Istanbul takes place. Focused on revealing the complexity of urban cultural layers and myths in connection to the city's twisted relationships with hyper development, the work highlights the richness of the area’s history.

 

Marina Abramović Element (MAE) is a visionary digital art project by the godmother of performance art, Marina Abramović, powered by TAEX. 

 

Recognised as one of the most important contemporary artists of our time, Abramović embarked on a quest to create her avatar, which serves as a vibrant extension of her creative vitality into the digital age.

 

Created to be at the age of 60, when the artist felt the most recognised and content with her life and career, this avatar enables performances that blend unprecedented graphics, complex narrative, and present a new kind of catalogue raisonné.

 

For CI 2025, TAEX is delighted to present the first phase of the project, ART, which is dedicated to the evolution of Marina Abramović’s artistic practice. A special focus is placed on the use of symbolism especially in Abramović iconic portraits featuring various animals (such as snakes and scorpions) as well the artist’s interaction with certain types of objects within contexts that have become central aspects of the artist’s performances.