The Turkish capital is currently hosting its first-ever international contemporary art fair at the ATO Congresium International Convention and Exhibition Center, presenting work by 200 artists from Turkey and abroad.
Around 2,000 pieces ranging from paintings, sculptures and prints to photography and works of conceptual art are showcased in booths run by 70 art galleries at the five-day Art Ankara 2015 fair, which is set to wrap up on Sunday.
Spread over two halls of the Congresium on a 3,000-square-meter area, Art Ankara 2015 not only offers a platform for galleries and auction houses based in Ankara and İstanbul, but also three private art institutions from Turkey -- the İstanbul Museum of Graphic Arts (IMOGA); Ankara's Mustafa Ayaz Museum, founded by the veteran Turkish painter Ayaz; and the Knidos International Culture and Art Academy (UKKSA), based in the southwestern coastal town of Datça.
Galleries from Iran and Kyrgyzstan are also participating in the fair, where the Tehran-based Igreg Art Studio is presenting a comprehensive selection of work by 15 artists in its catalogue.
Put together by Atis Fairs, Art Ankara 2015 is held concurrently with Design Ankara 2015, which focuses on the latest trends in industrial design.
“There are numerous major institutions in Ankara that focus on contemporary art and offer education in that field,” ATİS Fairs executive Bilgin Aygül told Today's Zaman on the first day of the fair, which aims to highlight the efforts of those institutions on both a national and international level.