Dream of a portal to another world. That is ARTER in Istanbul. It stands as Turkey’s premier contemporary art museum.
ARTER began its journey in 2010. The Vehbi Koç Foundation launched it. The goal? To build a sustainable space for contemporary art. For eight years ARTER operated on Istiklal Street. It showcased exhibitions, talks, performances and workshops. In September 2019 ARTER moved to Dolapdere.
Grimshaw Architects in London designed the new ARTER building. It spans 18000 square meters. Inside find galleries, performance halls and learning areas. There is also a library, bookstore and bistro.
Melih Fereli is ARTER’s Founding Director. He also advises the Vehbi Koç Foundation on culture and arts. Emre Baykal serves as Chief Curator.
ARTER’s former Istiklal Street building reopened as Meşher. The Vehbi Koç Foundation operates it.
The Vehbi Koç Foundation started a contemporary art collection in 2007. ARTER manages and cares for it. By 2019 the collection held over 1350 works. It continues to grow. Many pieces are loaned to institutions worldwide. When ARTER’s new building opened in 2019 the collection became accessible to the public.
The ARTER collection features international artists from the 1960s onward. Media include painting, sculpture, photography and film. Installations, sound, light and performance art also feature. The collection highlights contemporary Turkish art. It also includes art from nearby regions and beyond.
Between 2010 and 2018 ARTER presented many exhibitions on Istiklal Street. ARTER’s inaugural exhibition was Starter. It presented over 160 works by 87 artists. All pieces belonged to the ARTER Collection. ARTER supports artistic production. It funds new works for each exhibition. ARTER hosted the Istanbul Biennial. It served as a main venue for its 13th and 14th editions. ARTER also hosted the 4th Istanbul Design Biennial.
ARTER’s new building in Dolapdere opened in September 2019. It launched with seven exhibitions. Four came from its collection. ARTER offers performances, concerts and talks. Workshops and events encourage engagement with art. The institution introduced a three-day music festival in February 2020. The New and Newest Music Festival includes live concerts.
ARTER features two performance halls. Karbon is a Blackbox performance and exhibition space. The Sevgi Gönül Auditorium hosts films, conferences and concerts. The Studio is the main space for learning programs. It hosts meetings, talks and workshops. The ARTER Library offers free access to art publications. The ARTER Bookstore sells books on art and social sciences. Bistro by Divan caters to visitors.
The Grimshaw Architects design includes contributions by Thornton Tomasetti, Max Fordham and Neill Woodger Acoustics. A central atrium connects ARTER’s main areas. Six galleries and a sculpture terrace offer exhibition space.
The Arter Collection has over 1400 works by around 400 artists. It includes various contemporary expressions from around the world. The Arter Collection includes works from the 1960s to the present.
ARTER presents a multi-disciplinary events program. This features performing arts, music, film, and digital arts. The Learning Program interprets our times through art. It builds connections between artists, audiences, and partners. ARTER publishes bilingual books for each exhibition. These enhance conversations around contemporary art.