Karaköy Palas to welcome art lovers
ISTANBUL
The historic Karaköy Palas becomes the meeting point for art enthusiasts as they experience the 2025 ArtıKÜME Art Support Program, showcasing the latest creative works supported by the Culture and Civilization Foundation (KÜME).
As part of the program initiated in March 2025, 25 projects from various disciplines will be brought together for the first time under the “ArtıKÜME 2025” selection.
The selection aims to offer an interdisciplinary exhibition experience by bringing together contemporary and traditional art practices. The works present diverse perspectives on current social issues, drawing on the transformative power of art.
Ali Ulvi Mıhoğlu, Culture and Arts Coordinator of the KÜME Foundation, told state-run Anadolu Agency that Karaköy Palas is being positioned not as a temporary exhibition venue but as a permanent cultural and artistic ecosystem.
Noting that the building stands at the heart of İstanbul, where culture, art and commerce intersect, Mıhoğlu said the structure, built in the 1910s in the Art Nouveau style, is one of the city’s iconic landmarks. He added that the building has not undergone restoration and that they envision it as an open and accessible space for the public.
Mıhoğlu emphasized that the exhibition emerged from asking independent artists what they would create if given the opportunity.
“Artists responded by sharing what they would like to produce. We received around 300 project applications. A total of 25 projects involving nearly 30 artists will be exhibited. ArtıKÜME includes artistic support across 15 to 16 disciplines. Visitors will also see theater, concerts and various performance art pieces. Beyond being an exhibition, this will evolve into a living cultural venue,” he said.
He also noted that the launch of the ODAK project, which collects cultural and artistic data in Türkiye, will take place alongside the exhibition.
ArtıKÜME curator Murat Kösemen underlined that Karaköy Palas, located in central İstanbul, was built in 1910 by an Italian architect.
He said the exhibition is only one outcome of the ArtıKÜME support program.
“When we initiated these supports, our aim was not to stage this exhibition, but to help artists express themselves more effectively,” he said.
Kösemen highlighted that the key point for viewers is not the final artwork but how the production process has been shaped through this support.
“Here, ArtıKÜME reflects how the Culture and Civilization Foundation becomes part of the production process. The exhibition is titled ‘Possible’ to express this idea,” he said.
He added that the participating artists come from a wide range of disciplines, with around 60 percent in plastic arts and nearly 30 percent in visual arts, alongside theater and music performances.
Karaköy Palas to become a cultural hub
Refunctioned by KÜME, Karaköy Palas is set to become one of İstanbul’s new cultural and artistic centers, located in Beyoğlu’s Karaköy district, an area known for its concentration of galleries and independent creative spaces.
The opening program will be held with the participation of KÜME Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Selçuk Bayraktar and Chair Abdullah Eren.
Alongside the ArtıKÜME 2025 selection, the foundation’s data-driven cultural project ODAK will also be introduced.
The ODAK project aims to systematically record cultural and artistic activities across Türkiye, bringing together scattered data to create a holistic and sustainable cultural memory.
At the introductory exhibition, the transformation of cultural data from chaos into order will be presented through a spatial narrative. The project’s printed output, the “ODAK 2025” book, will also be featured.
Following the launch, exhibitions at Karaköy Palas will open to visitors as of April 26.
The ArtıKÜME 2025 selection and the ODAK exhibition will offer visitors the opportunity to experience both artistic production and its data infrastructure under the same roof.