Kamiar Maleki has been appointed director of the Contemporary Istanbul art fair. Maleki is a collector and curator based in London. He is a founding member of the ICA’s Young Patrons and is a Young Patron to Parasol Unit Foundation and Tate. Maleki comments that, “Being the gateway from Asia and Europe to the Middle East, the city and the country have a unique and strong collector base… It is an important global arts hub that has championed both regional and international art. Our aim is for CI to further increase its recognition worldwide, building upon its trajectory and legacy.’ This year’s edition of the fair was mired by a group of protesters storming the venue to protest against the exhibition of a sculpture depicting Abdulhamid II, the last Ottoman sultan. I Can’t Reciprocate Your Feelings Osman III, 2016, by Ali Elmaci, consists of a wooden sculpture of a woman with two heads, one of which holds a knife in her teeth. Standing on a table, the woman is dressed in a bikini and has an image of Abdulhamid II painted on her torso.
2 December 2016
