Modern Art Centers in Istanbul
From public to private, there are many art centers in Istanbul. Istanbul has a tremendous history with a mixture of traditional and contemporary art. You can come across with an exhibition during your visit in Istanbul. Taksim is a cultural hub for art galleries and cultural events. That’s why I focus on the places in Taksim mostly in this post.
Pera Museum
Pera Museum is a lustrous place with its architecture and permanent collections. It is a private museum founded by the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation in 2005. The building was serving as a hotel called ‘Hotel Bristol’ until 1980.
Besides three permanent collections (Orientalist Paintings, Anatolian Weights and Measures, Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics), the museum collaborates with national and international art galleries and institutions to hold exhibition every year.
Additionally, you will have a chance to see a painting ‘The Tortoise Trainer’of the founder of Istanbul Archaeology Museum Osman Hamdi Bey. He was an administrator, intellectual and painter during the Ottoman Empire. It is also one of my favorite museum among others.
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern is the first modern and contemporary art museum in Turkey and founded in 2004. It hosts both local and international artists with a great variety of interdisiplinary art works such as photography, new media, architecture and so on. The museum organizes movie screening, social projects and educational programs for children, youth and adults.
There are some social facilities such as library, restaurant, cinema and design shop. Its original building was a warehouse and converted to the museum in 2014 in Karaköy/Tophane.
Salt Galata
Salt Galata was converted to a museum from the “Imperial Ottoman Bank”. It opened his doors after amazing renovation process in 2011 and founded by Garanti BBVA. The architect of the original building (1892) is Alexander Vallaury who is well-known with Hotel Pera Palace and Istanbul Archaeology Museum as well.
This cultural institution has two buildings in Istanbul. The first one, Salt Galata is located on historical Bankalar Street and the second one, Salt Beyoğlu, is in Istiklal Street. You can check the programme out through their website. You can find exhibitions, film screnings, workshops, conferences and so on.
Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Sabancı Museum was opened as a museum in 2002 in Emirgan. It was an old mansion belonged to the Khedive family at past. It was purchased by Hacı Ömer Sabancı in 1951. After years, it was a home to calliigraphy and painting collection of Sakıp Sabancı.
Finally, the family converted into a museum with a modern gallery and exhibition halls. The museum represents local, regional and global interdisicplanry art vision. It became worldwide known by exhibiting Picasso and Rodin’s Works.
Akbank Sanat
Akbank Sanat is located in the heart of Istanbul, Beyoğlu. This cultural center hosts a great variety artistic fields from painting to music. There are 6 floors in the building. At first floor, you will see contemporary art gallery section. You can check the details of exhibition out via their website. In other floors, there are workshops for both children and adults. They also organize Akbank Jazz Festival every year.
Yapı Kredi Culture Centre
Yapı Kredi Culture Centre was founded in 1992 as a cultural institution. Its location is at the heartbeat of Istanbul, Istiklal Street. If you are into books and art, you can give a break at this center since it’s the midway of the street. It hosts exhibitions, bookshop, seminars, workshops and other cultural disciplines.
