Contemporary Art Museum Arter opens in Istanbul

Arter, the Contemporary Art Museum for the Vehbi Koç Foundation, Istanbul. Source: Grimshaw Architect/The Art Newspaper

The new building, designed by London-based Grimshaw Architects, was erected in Dolapdere, a district in central Istanbul. The museum’s director Melih Fereli says the institution will be a “game-changer” for Istanbul, the Art Newspaper reports.

Arter is backed by the Vehbi Koç Foundation that was founded 50 years ago by one of Turkey’s richest businessman. In 2005, Fereli was appointed cultural adviser at the Foundation. He conceived a special strategy to develop contemporary art.

Ömer Koç from the renowned family is also responsible for developing this direction. In 2007, Koç Holding was the main sponsor of the Istanbul Biennial and the foundation started buying contemporary art. Arter, owned by the holding, opened in 2010. The inaugural exhibition featured about 160 works from the new collection. The collection now includes over 1,300 pieces. Half of them are by Turkish authors.

The Arter building in Istanbul is designed by Grimshaw Architect. Source: Grimshaw Architect/The Art Newspaper

Fereli hopes the museum with 3,000 square metres of flexible galleries, two theatres and a sculpture terrace will “enable artists to think differently”. According to the Koç Foundation, the collection and construction cost more than €120 million.

In 2017, some works from Ömer Koç’s collection were at the centre of the scandal. Conservative Islamists tried to damage the sculpture The Man Beneath the Sweater by Ron Mueck at the exhibition titled Doors Open to Those Who Knock.

Fereli, who co-curated the show, described the incident as “singular” and counterproductive.

Asked about the threat of censorship and self-censorship at the new museum, he said: “All forms of art can be a very strong platform for freedom of expression. The worst would be for an institution or artist to exercise auto-censorship.”