Dyala Nusseibeh concedes that there is an art fair “almost every week in the world”. The competition is, therefore, fierce, but that has not prevented the director of the Art International fair in Istanbul – the third edition of which was held at the weekend – from aiming to be among “the top five that people go to”.
It is a lofty goal. What makes her aspirations even more impressive is the fact that Art International is barely three years old and its 25,000 visitors are still a long way from the 75,000 drawn to Art Basel in Switzerland every year or the 50,000 who flock to Art Basel Miami.
Nor is it as established as Frieze in London, the 42-year-old Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain in Paris nor The European Fine Art Fair in Maastricht.
But if there is one thing Art International’s Emirati director has in spades, it is confidence, linked to the conviction that Turkey’s heritage and cosmopolitan outlook make it a natural draw for collectors from East and West.
“It has got a long way to go, but I would like the fair to be within the top five,” she says. “Istanbul is one of the most-visited cities in the world [fifth, according to Condé Nast Traveller].
“It has this immense history and appeal for people, a long-standing culture and heritage and amazing archaeological sites. There is a very sophisticated art scene and a level of philanthropy in the arts that is not replicated elsewhere.”
Original article by Tahira Yaqoob
Continue reading at The National:
How one Emirati wants to make Art International in Istanbul one of the best fairs in the world
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