The Istanbul Comics and Art Festival (ICAF), one of the city’s leading gatherings for independent and alternative art, is set to return for its ninth edition on June 13-14.
Organized by Dream Sales Machine, the festival will be held for the first time at Paribu Art, bringing together comic books, illustration, caricature, fanzines, animation and street art under one roof.
Over the years, ICAF has become a key meeting point for Istanbul’s independent creative scene, connecting publishers, artists, illustrators, designers and creative collectives while offering visitors more than a conventional festival experience.
This year’s program will feature prominent publishers including Gerekli Şeyler, Kara Karga, Athica, Kayıp
Kıta and Flaneur, alongside artist booths representing names such as Big Baboli, Flashmarket, dirt cake studio, MRE, Bülent Gültek, Ezgi Arslan and Selin Çınar.
Supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch and Turkish artists will collaborate on live mural and wall-art projects throughout the festival.
The event will also host collective drawing areas, workshops, signing sessions, panel discussions and live performances. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe artists at work through drawing and illustration activities spread across the venue.
Welcoming participants from across the city, the festival aims to highlight a broad spectrum of contemporary creative culture, ranging from independent publishing and illustration to underground comic art and new-generation street art.
