Recent Acquisitions

You have mentioned that your interest in video art stretches to the early 2000’s. You are one of the first collectors in Turkey to develop a collection with an emphasis on video art. Could you explain to us when and how your interest in video art began?

We were never interested in one specific medium. However, especially during the early 2000’s video works began to gain attention when we started purchasing them because they were almost never bought. Sometimes the best pieces in an exhibition were video works but nobody was buying them. When you decide on purchasing a good piece by a good artist the medium of the work carries little importance. There could be exceptions if you have any concerns about storage, but other than that our door is open to all mediums. Today video works are emphasized in our collection and we are very happy with that. We especially chose videos by two female artists for CI so that everyone visiting could once again see that it is a medium that can be purchased.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

You have mentioned many times that the theme of your collection is contemporary Turkish art from after the 2000’s. Why contemporary Turkish art from after the 2000’s? As your collection grew, did your opinions on this theme evolve?

The answer to your question is the sign of time. We had great interest in the art produced after the year 2000, and gravitated towards works that find their source in the life we currently live in in Turkey. We believe that when the focal points of collectors grow narrower it activates further. This means that today if you collect pieces from all over the world and from all time periods, even if it holds value as a personal anthology, it doesn’t hold a special meaning. Yet for example, if you specify a field that includes works by female artists on female struggle produced after the year 2000 and collect the works within that field, in 20 to 30 years you will have formed a very valuable collection that tells a story and gives a fraction of that time to its audience. In the first example, the value of your collection equals to the sum of the pieces, whereas in the second, it is worth much more because the collective meaning produced by the gathering those works carries a distinct value. So if we had the mindset that we have today back then, we would have chosen an even more specific topic, but I don’t think that is very possible at this stage.

“LOW LIQUIDITY, HIGH BETA”

Even though art carries high aesthetic and philosophical value, it also holds great economic value. Within your financial background, how would you evaluate the art market and the increase and decreases of value?

Art is an investment tool that has low liquidity and very high beta. I wouldn’t recommend pursuing investing in art unless you don’t have an investment perspective of at least twenty years. We never saw it that way either. Art makes our life more beautiful, and that is what has value.

“CORPORATE BUYING OF ART IS IMPORTANT”

Artistic endeavors and art institutions supported by banks have a great impact upon the arts scene in Turkey. What do you think is the significance of joining the arts and finance sectors under one roof?

Lets not restrict this to only banks, within activities that give back to the public art is very important. In Turkey we see important contributions by banks and holding companies in this area. And on top of that these institutions are aware that these endeavors are not going to return to them with commercial benefits. Large institutions’ engagement within the arts with a long term perspective is highly beneficial in terms of sustaining the art world. The purchases by private collections can seriously decline during times of economic withdrawal. At times like this corporate buying becomes especially important. Here, the topic of corporate collecting is I think a critical one, because for artists and galleries to live, along with museum buildings, collections that can fill those museums should also surface.

“I AM AFTER A STORY THAT WILL EXCITE ME”

Recently you have made some endeavors within the arts yourself by writing a book. Could you please share with us your relationship with literature and the situation with your writing practice?

After reading so much it finally led me to this and at some point I said to myself “it would be really nice if there was a novel like this” and the rest happened by itself. Writing is one of my main sources for happiness, it is such fun work, each moment is so pleasurable. The only challenge within this writing process is time. You have to find and make time. When you find the time and are alone with your story, your hero, thats when the fun begins.
These days I am thinking about and working on my second novel. In my head there’s already the third, fourth, fifth and the others. Heroes, characters, stories and inspirations are circulating around in my head. I am always looking to find the story that will excite me and when I do, I try to tell it in the most simple, unvarnished and direct manner. Writing has really disciplined me, throwing away words I love while writing, trimming the decorations, the overlaps and the word plays is apparently really not that easy, and discipline of essence is something of this sort. When you dare to put something out there yourself, your perspective on artworks and the creation process surely changes. To summarize, I view artworks much more tolerantly now.

When and how did Leman Sevda Darıcıoğlu and Didem Erk spark your interest? Which work/works did you include in your collection and with what ideas in mind?

We saw Didem Erk’s work at the Biennial and decided on purchasing it then. We saw Philia at Mamut Art Project. We met the artists and have been following their works ever since. Both works are performances hidden beneath a video format. Didem’s work explores the concept of memory which we are always after, as well as the concept of borders. Rather than concepts, we think that the emotions provoked by an artwork, especially the feeling you get at first glance, are very valuable. In Didem’s work there is this really powerful feeling of being stuck, of being caught in the middle, of suffocation and vomiting, and what reveals the idea at the bottom and making it this striking is this confusing feeling.

In Leman’s work there is this feeling of struggle and rigidity. It is the story of young people defending their entities stubbornly at the risk of their own lives within a relentless and intolerant environment. It is delivered in a direct manner without any dramatisation, exaggeration or effort towards affection. We believe that these two young women will continue doing very important work within contemporary art. It is an honour to have met them.

What encouraged you to become a collector and your interest in the arts?

I started collecting very coincidentally. An American friend of mine invited me to ArtBasel in 1999 and there I saw that there was this other “World”. Of course I had taken some art classes at university, but I was exposed to both the collecting and the “commercial” sides of art for the first time there. It was a very exciting atmosphere. I wanted to discover this new world, and dreamt of being a part of it someday.

What do you think are the differences between collecting in Turkey and in Europe?

Firstly, I can formulate opinions based on contemporary art. My general observation is that in Europe the market is much bigger and also the collectors are much older. For instance I don’t think there are many people here who are older than 70 and are interested in collecting. But in Europe there are so many collectors within that age range. They have been interested in this for a long time now, maybe since the 70s, or the 80s, and since the market is much bigger, they have managed to create many great collections. This is something that always catches my eye every time I go to ArtBasel; people are walking around the fair with their walking sticks without getting tired. I truly appreciate their devotion.

YOUNG ARTISTS IGNITE ENERGY

Furkan Akhan is a very young artist who is continuing his education. You are also one of the judges for Mamut Art Project, which gives visibility to young artists, helping them meet and reach out to galleries and collectors… Do you also look to incorporate young and independent artists in your own collection?

Yes, definitely. I can say that half of my own collection consists of young artists. I like to exhibit young artists together with established ones. It creates unexpected dialogues and gives an unforeseen energy. In Turkey, I especially prefer buying from young artists.

We have seen a rise in events that aim to ensure the participation of young artists within the art world. So it is crucial that this year Contemporary Istanbul is hosting guest programmes and incorporating art projects. What are your opinions on projects like these?

I think they are very important. There are not many platforms that introduce young artists in Turkey to wider audiences. From what I see, there is a lack of, or limited support from the government and that all these projects are being carried out by special or private initiatives. Projects like these will encourage artists and lead to higher quality works.

“THERE ARE AMAZING MUSEUMS IN TURKEY”

For many years we have know you as a collector. How would you comment on contemporary Turkish art and artists as well as their current position within international arenas?

There have been many players in the art arena who have come and gone. There have also been some very important projects happening and many that are continuing to happen. Great museums are opening like Koç and OMM. Societies like SAHA are making sure that Turkish artists are being heard globally, and independent art projects like Protocinema are again working to introduce Turkish artists on an international scale and vice versa. In short, you could say that with time, everything will get much better.

How would you generally evaluate your collection?

It is possible to define it as an eclectic collection that doesn’t have a concrete line but is an expression of me.

What would you recommend someone who is starting out in collecting?

First of all I would suggest educating themselves. Visiting fairs, exhibitions and reading books about important artists… After that, I would recommend to just listen to their hearts and making purchases according to that.

Can you talk a little bit about your purchasing process? Are there any curators you ask for advice or any consultants that you work with?

We have been interested in modern and contemporary art since 2007, and have moved forward with pieces we thought we could live with and those that were within our financial range. During the initial stages of this process, we didn’t follow a specific theme which allowed our collection to become more eclectic. But since 2015, believing that we should be building a more meaningful collection, we focused on determining a theme and proceeding with it. A significant portion of our collection consists of pieces that we have bought with our own initiative. Recently due to our desire of building a more thematic collection, we have had people from the art world making us suggestions as well as friends giving us examples of artists we did not know about. There are some pieces we have included in our collection by making note of these suggestions.

Can we gather your collection under a specific theme or movement? Is there a field you are thematically drawn towards?

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As I mentioned before, we have been working on developing our collection upon a certain theme for the past 4 to 5 years. The backbone of the theme is architecture and design. We are continuing by purchasing works that heavily reflect the emphasis’ of architecture and design. I am the son of an engineer and my wife’s father is an architect, so our thematic choices aren’t very shocking. However our passionate interest and love for the arts sometimes lead us in to making purchases outside of this theme. And even though it is not as emphasized as the themes of architecture and design, there are small political streaks within our collection.

PROFESSIONAL WITH AN AMATEUR SOUL

Can you talk a little bit about ADAS Arts Center? How did it come about and with what aims was it established?

As our collection grew, we began not being able to display all the works. All these works that we had acquired through devotion and effort were beginning to wait inside storage rooms. And after some time this situation became less meaningful. Since we had so many pieces that we had to keep in storage, we had the idea of placing them in the best environment they could be at. We wanted to organise independent exhibitions as well as artistic and cultural events. And ADAS was born as an outcome of this idea. ADAS is entering its third year this year and gets busier with each passing year. While I am more involved in the exhibitions, my wife Ayşegül handles the cultural events part. We hold exhibitions, workshops, book and film clubs at ADAS. Up until now, ADAS has made the effort of carrying out professional work with an amateur soul. It will continue as much as our purpose, strength and facilities allow us. And this gives us a lot of excitement.

THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN PART REMAINS A “SECRET”

This work by Murat Germen is a photograph that even at first glance, can be considered very powerful socio-politically. But the perspective of the shot doesn’t concretely give away what is being protested and where. Almost as if this was intended as a way to highlight a sector of society coming together under a political framework and the power this generates. In your collection, is it important for you to purchase works that make references to socio-political matters, especially those within Turkish society?

This diptych by Murat Germen is very meaningful socio-politically. It is photographically fascinating and has great archival value at the same time. All nations have a breaking point. This photograph documents a significant breaking point in Turkey. One part of the diptych is day and the other is night. It is a document of an uprising within society that continued for 24 hours. Freedom, justice and democracy are all matters that we should desire and demand for. Societies that lack these unfortunately cannot progress. Becoming aware of these deficiencies and developing an attitude towards them surely changes societies for the better. We have never been apolitical and so there is, although little, a political streak within our collection. Our interest in this area will surely continue during this process. In the first Collectors Stories exhibition, and now in its second edition, we intentionally and willingly chose to exhibit political works. We continue to keep the architecture and design part a secret.

When did you start collecting video art and what aroused your curiosity in this field?

The tendencies towards video art in the art fairs, events and exhibitions I was following began to attract my attention. Within this trend, I realised that the importance given to, and exhibition spaces devoted to video art in Turkey was lacking; throughout my conversations with artists about this I realised that they had video works they could not display or projects they were interested in producing but had to delay due to the problem of displaying them. We realised how suitable the garage of our office building was to exhibit video art, and Bilsart opened in January 2018. The main purpose of Bilsart is, by concentrating on video art, to offer a space for young or experienced artists to exhibit their video works and get their work across together with talks and events. Bilsar has supported contemporary art for many years, and the Bilsar building has hosted many contemporary art events. For example, along with being one of the exhibition venues for the 9th and 11th Istanbul Biennials, it has provided a space for Base Istanbul and has hosted the screening of the Jale award winning play “Shoot/Loot/Re’ of dot”. Meanwhile, the B3 Collection named after the B3 House designed by Architect Han Tümertekin continues to develop. Recently because I have been following video art more and more, more video works have been included in the collection. Hacer Kıroğlu, Erdal İnci, Begüm Yamanlar, Zeynep Kayan, Burcu Yağcıoğlu, Ezgi Yok are among the artists whose video works are included in the collection.

DYNAMIC AND ORGANIC PROGRAMMES

You have established the non-profit Bilsart that only displays video art. Do you think an art project has more freedom in terms of content and curating when it is not aimed at making a profit?

Of course I agree. Bilsart is a space that is much more dynamic and alive with solo exhibitions that change regularly every 15 days. Each exhibition opening includes an artist talk. The exhibition schedule is not formed by a selection committee, every artist producing video art at Bilsart, and anyone developing ideas within this field share their work, ideas and project proposals with us. This helps the exhibition schedule to be shaped and developed organically. At the exhibitions we organize, we work as a team with artists and curators on what to do and how to do it. This helps the artist and the curator feel free and satisfied. Concentrating on a single work at each exhibition helps the artists explain the work displayed as well as themselves according to their previous work. I also think that Bilsart is a space that is easily accessible to young artists.

Do you play an active role in installing and curating exhibitions or in finding new artists? Did the artistic and aesthetic accumulation you have gained through collecting aid in the founding and management of Bilsart?

Of course, we have a list of artists producing video work that we sometimes refer to, but I believe that we have closed a major gap with the space we have provided for the display of video art. There are many students, artists or curators sharing their video work and projects with us. The exhibition calendar is shaped organically as a result. While developing the schedule, we try to make sure that the works displayed in the same month are able to interrelate to one another.

“HERA DEEPLY TOUCHED ME”

Among your extensive collection, why Hera Büyüktaşçıyan? What do you think/hope the artists work will add to your collection, CI ’19 and the Recent Acquisitions exhibition?

Sometimes some artists have works that, more than having an effect on me, deeply touches me. This is one of them.

Are you planning on participating in any local or international art fairs with Bilsart?

Bilsart mostly features video works by artists from Turkey, but we don’t have a very concrete line about such things. We have previously included John Gerrard’s video work as a part of the Mardin Biennial. In the same way we have displayed video work by Funa Ye from China at an exhibition curated by Collective Çukurcuma. There is no such plan at the moment, but we can evaluate it if it is useful and meaningful, why not.

Usually abroad and especially recently, we have seen an increase of museum exhibitions that concentrate on fashion. The annual costume exhibition at the MET Museum in New York, the Balenciaga exhibition held last year at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London… However such projects that integrate fashion and art institutions are not very active yet in Turkey. Would you like to see these put in to action in Turkey as well?

Of course I would love to, but unfortunately I don’t think that Turkey has reached such a unique and competent point in the field of fashion.

Dolapdere has recently become the destination for many arts and culture venues, and coupled with the opening of ARTER. Why did you choose Dolapdere for Evliyagil’s Istanbul location?

It is a project space that opened in Dolapdere six months a go. Beral Madra is running the selection of works and curating for the solo and group exhibitions that have opened and will open during Evliyagil Dolapdere’s first year. You have given the answer in your question; the reason why many arts and culture establishments have been coming to Dolapdere is because the opening of a great center of attraction like ARTER will liven up the area. These types of major centres of attraction all around the world alter the core of the area they are situated in, and create new microsistems. This is the biggest reason why we, along with many other galleries, are deploying in Dolapdere.

“TO SHARE RATHER THAN TO STOCK”

When did you start collecting? How long after you began collecting did the idea of Evliyagil Museum come about? Can you describe this process a little bit?

The first work I acquired was a Nuri Abaç oil painting in 1993. I actually started collecting about 8 to 10 years later, so in around 2001-2002. The idea of opening this collection to the public, sharing it with the public came about in 2008. Which shows that from 2001 to 2008 I made a serious amount of purchases. When the amount of works you have rise from 30-40’s to 200’s and 300’s, and when you begin purchasing, packaging, numbering and stocking these works and realize you haven’t even seen them yourself in 3 to 5 years, you begin to wonder how you’re going to share this first with yourself, and then with the public, and how you can do this and where and under what conditions. For me, this is how this process evolved.

In what ways does your own personal collection interact with the collection of the Evliyagil Museum? If we were to combine the two under a conceptual framework, what would it be?

There is a single collection. Much like how we present this collection at Evliyagil Museum, we also exhibit works from other collections and artists.

BOTH INSIGHT AND ARTIST SUPPORT

When purchasing works, is there anyone you consult to or any artists and galleries that you regularly follow?

There is not one person I consult to when purchasing works. I try to follow about half of the 100 artists from the collection in my own ways. Besides that, I am very impressed by the depth of Yüksel Arslan’s works and the intellectual accumulation of Bedri Baykam. Artists I regularly see and have conversations with are Erdal Duman who’s atelier is my neighbour, and photography artist Can Akgümüş who I love and follow, and who is also the director of our museum. Galeri Nev in Ankara is a gallery I regularly follow. The owner Deniz has supported and guided me throughout the earliest days of my collection as well as when it was being shared with the public. Along with that I also follow artSümer gallery, the owner Aslı is a close companion of mine.

You selected works by Güneş Terkol and Yüksel Arslan for the Recent Acquisitions exhibition. Where do you think these two artists working in different time periods artistically and aesthetically meet?

The curator for the Recent Acquisitions exhibition is Hasan Bülent Kahraman. We sent him the images and captions of approximately 12 to 15 works that we have purchased within the past year. He made decisions among those. Where these two artists working in different time periods and through different production practices meet is, I think, in the body. Both are works that portray the human body.