Contemporary Istanbul opens to the public this Thursday with two works that give the fair an immediate visual contrast. A seven-metre sculpture by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa sits on the shore of the Golden Horn, while visitors can see a two-metre piece by actor Johnny Depp nearby.
The event brings an established artist and a celebrity debut onto the same visitor route. EFE reports from Istanbul that the works are among the basic attractions at this year's fair. The 21st edition runs from 22 to 27 September 2026 at Tersane Istanbul. It includes 70 galleries and a programme focused in part on Asia, information from Turkey Today.
Plensa's sculpture occupies the waterfront. Its size and position make it part of Istanbul's field, not simply another work inside a gallery. Tersane Istanbul identifies the work as 'Juana'; it is presented in the Tersane Istanbul Sculpture Park, an open-air section with 12 monumental sculptures that extends the fair beyond its pavilions and links the exhibition to the Golden Horn waterfront.
Depp's contribution takes a different route.
The actor's first sculpture is titled 'The Bunnyman' and stands two metres high. It is made of white bronze. The work has been installed outdoors among cafés and trees, but it is not freely accessible from the surrounding area. Only fair visitors can reach the space where it is displayed. WION reports that the project was realised with the participation of the SIGG Art Foundation.
The arrangement gives the piece a clear place within the event. Visitors encounter a work tied to Depp's film career and public profile as they move through a fair that also presents a monumental sculpture by Plensa.
The contrast is straightforward. Plensa's work dominates the waterfront with its seven-metre scale. 'The Bunnyman' attracts attention through its creator and unusual material. The sculpture also draws on personal imagery from Depp's drawings and childhood memories, information from Turkey Today.
Contemporary Istanbul opens with two kinds of visibility. Plensa's installation uses the city as its setting. 'The Bunnyman' stays inside the fair's controlled visitor area. The pairing connects public space with an exhibition setting that only ticketed visitors can enter, while keeping each work distinct.
Sources describe 'Juana' as Plensa's first public artwork in Istanbul. Depp's sculpture is being shown for the first time at this fair.
Visitors can see a large Spanish sculpture beside the Golden Horn before encountering Depp's first sculptural work among cafés and trees.
