CI Bloom 2025: Where Art Comes into Bloom
The 4th edition of CI Bloom took place between April 16–20, 2025, at Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center, Rumeli Hall. Hosting emerging artists, international media and art professionals, this year CI Bloom brought together 25 galleries and 4 art initiatives, presenting 520 artworks by 263 artists to art lovers and collectors.
Positioned as the young, dynamic, and bold face of Contemporary Istanbul, CI Bloom offers a vibrant space for production and interaction, both for artists and the audience.
Visited by 11,780 engaged and discerning art enthusiasts and collectors, the fair saw over 62% of the works sold into new collections. The fair also attracted strong interest from younger audiences, with 780 university students visiting the fair free of charge.
CI Bloom, with the aim of bringing together the players of the contemporary art market, invited prominent representatives of international art professionals and international press, who have a special interest in art from this region, to Istanbul, in collaboration with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA). It hosted representatives at the fair from publications such as Art Tribune (Italy), Le Quotidien de l’Art (France), Canvas (United Arab Emirates), Artslife(Italy), Qantara (Germany), and Clarin Newspaper (Argentina).
Ali Güreli, the Chairman of Contemporary Istanbul said, In the 20th anniversary year of Contemporary Istanbul, CI Bloom continues to stand out as its boldest and most dynamic platform. I’m proud to announce that the fourth edition of CI Bloom concluded with great success. The participation of young galleries and initiatives from cities such as Ankara, Diyarbakır, and Eskişehir brought distinct energy and value to this year’s fair.In the 20th anniversary year of Contemporary Istanbul, CI Bloom continues to stand out as its boldest and most dynamic platform. I’m proud to announce that the fourth edition of CI Bloom concluded with great success. The participation of young galleries and initiatives from cities such as Ankara, Diyarbakır, and Eskişehir brought distinct energy and value to this year’s fair.
By offering space to galleries and initiatives from outside Istanbul, CI Bloom reaffirms its mission to support visibility, collaboration, and artistic production—values it will continue to champion in the coming years.
CI Bloom has become not only a platform for emerging artists but also a meeting point for the next generation of collectors.
As a complementary platform to Contemporary Istanbul’s upcoming 20th edition, we believe CI Bloom is the ideal stepping stone for young artists and those just beginning their collecting journey. With strong sales and a new audience profile, the fair offered an optimistic picture for the market.”
CI Bloom Highlights:
CI Bloom x Artwide
In partnership with Artwide, a leading digital sales platform operating for over 12 years, CI Bloom launched a new model: artworks by participant galleries’ artists not exhibited physically at the fair were showcased online in a concurrent digital auction.
This collaboration marked the first step in CI’s hybrid fair strategy, blending physical and digital sales environments, set to expand further during Contemporary Istanbul’s 20th edition in September 2025.
BMW & MONOLiT 2.0
As the Turkish distributor of BMW, Borusan Otomotiv, in collaboration with Borusan Contemporary, presented a unique project by interdisciplinary artist Can Büyükberber.
His work, “MONOLiT 2.0: The Iconic Glow”, transformed the new BMW iX into an immersive digital sculpture using AI tools, virtual models, and cinematic techniques.
BMW Türkiye once again demonstrated its long-standing support for contemporary art through this innovative contribution to CI Bloom.
Tosyalı’s Support for Upcycled Art
Steel producer Tosyalı continued its art sponsorship efforts by supporting a solo exhibition by Kazım Karakaya, who works with recycled metal materials.
The exhibition was featured in the Rumeli Hall of the Lütfi Kırdar Congress Center between April 17–20, aligning with the company’s commitment to sustainability and art.
Partners & Collaborations
The 4th edition of CI Bloom was realized with the support of:
- Borusan Otomotiv (BMW Türkiye) as partner,
- Pernod Ricard Türkiye as co-partner
- Tosyalı as a strategic partner
- Turkish Airlines, as official carrier
- TGA (Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency) as official supporter
