Artweeks Istanbul opens with “Collectors” edition

ISTANBUL

(AA Photo)

Artweeks Istanbul has opened its “Collectors” edition, bringing together works from some of Türkiye’s leading private art collections at Akaretler Sıraevler.

Organized under the vision of Bilgili Sanat and with Kalebodur as its main sponsor, the exhibition will be open to visitors free of charge from Sept. 17 to Nov. 8, following a preview held on Sept. 16.

The exhibition brings together selections from the private collections of Banu and Hakan Çarmıklı, Öner Kocabeyoğlu and Tansa Mermerci, displayed in the historic buildings of Akaretler Sıraevler.

Three private collections are presented under one roof, each reflecting a different curatorial approach.

The selection from Banu and Hakan Çarmıklı’s collection, titled “Reunion,” features works to which the collectors have developed personal connections over the years. Works by women artists and pieces focusing on social issues are also included.

The “Passion and Patience” exhibition from the Öner Kocabeyoğlu Collection features 140 works by 91 artists from different generations and geographies. Curated by Levent Çalıkoğlu, the selection is organized around themes including identity, the body, myth, objects and fields of color.

Tansa Mermerci’s “Tranquility and Uproar” collection presents a selection spanning traditional and contemporary art, bringing together works by artists including Nilbar Güreş, Nil Yalter, Martin Creed and Yuji Agematsu.

Bilgili Holding CEO Sinan Temo said collections were not merely made up of artworks but also reflected the cultural memory of a period and the collectors’ perspectives on the world.

Temo said multiple private collections were being made available to the public free of charge for two months for the first time in Türkiye in a non-museum venue. He added that the event aimed to make art more accessible and strengthen social dialogue by sharing important works and the stories behind them.

Sabiha Kurtulmuş, one of the founders of Artweeks Istanbul, said bringing three major private collections together within the historic setting of Akaretler created a new space for interpretation within the art ecosystem and could inspire a new generation of collectors.

Kocabeyoğlu said his collection consisted of more than 2,000 works by nearly 400 artists.

“This is the fourth time I have presented my collection at Artweeks. The difference this time is that, for the first time, we are bringing international artists and young artists together in the same exhibition,” he said.

Kocabeyoğlu said Çalıkoğlu had curated the collection, which spans approximately 100 years, and pointed to the shortage of suitable exhibition spaces in Türkiye.

“We need a large venue because there are large works and a large number of works in the collection,” he said.

Hakan Çarmıklı said he hoped the exhibition would encourage young collectors.

“Collecting is not only about gathering works. You also need to show them and encourage others,” he said.

Çarmıklı also said the growing number of major contemporary art exhibitions in Istanbul had made Turkish contemporary art more visible than ever.

Mermerci said visitors would move from calmer spaces to more energetic sections as they progressed through the exhibition, explaining the title “Tranquility and Uproar.”

She said many of the artists had been her childhood friends and that her relationships with them had influenced the formation of her collection.

“Our themes, subjects, concerns and laughter came together, and that is how they entered the collection,” she said.

The contemporary artworks are displayed in the historic buildings numbered A23, 25-27, 43 and 45 at Akaretler Sıraevler.

The exhibition can be visited free of charge every day except Mondays from noon to 7 p.m. through Nov. 8.