Turkey’s first “Green and Sustainable Museum,” CerModern, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with Sevincy’s exhibitions “Our Return Will Be Magnificent” and “Magical Italy.” CerModern, the address where Ankara meets contemporary art, is marking its 15th year. This special year is crowned with a rich program prepared around art and sustainability.
Since its establishment, CerModern has aimed to make art a natural part of life and has been creating a space for everyone to connect with art for 15 years. Offering a wide range from modern art exhibitions to educational programs, and from events to interdisciplinary projects, it provides visitors with an aesthetic, intellectual, and emotional experience. Its vision as a center that not only exhibits but also brings art to life is carried forward each day with new projects.
CerModern’s Transformation Journey
CerModern, which transformed from a historic train maintenance workshop into Turkey’s first ‘Green and Sustainable Museum’ in 2010, is described by one of its founding partners and Art Program Director Zihni Tümer in a 2019 interview with Şebnem Kırmacı:
“CerModern started its activities in 2010 after a restoration project that took quite a long time. The long story of this achievement goes back to 1998. The current building was, as I remember, abandoned and half burned. (…) …where the current Presidential Symphony Orchestra building is located, there used to be a different life during day and night, with household items sold at auction. At exactly this period, the process that started with a competition project continued by including the Cer Workshops. The project owners who won the competition, Semta and Özcan Uygur, noticed the historic mechanical equipment on the surface of the abandoned building and revealed the identity of the structure. Yes, this building located on the northern axis of Ankara Station was an industrial building with features identical to Republic-era buildings and perhaps hid one of the first industrial investments under its concealed identity. The building, which served as a coal and later diesel locomotive repair workshop in the early years of the Republic, aimed to be transformed into an art space by preserving its large hangars. The restoration project, which began in 1998 alongside the CSO building, was nearly finished when I revisited it. It took years for the construction to be completed, for me to fully understand the true story. With the close supervision of the then Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertuğrul Günay and his ownership of the CerModern project, the construction was rapidly completed and opened for service in about 6 months.”
In the same interview, Zihni Tümer explains the origin of the name of Ankara’s cultural and art center:
“The name ‘Cer’ comes from the verb ‘to haul.’ Cer is a term still used by the railway administration, referring to locomotives. The structure established as Cer Workshops was one of several workshop buildings on the Istanbul – Hejaz line. Along with the wagon maintenance workshops in Eskişehir and Konya, it remained in active service until the 1980s.”
A Modern Art Center
CerModern highlights the manifesto:
“A modern arts center, like schools and universities, is part of society’s educational project; it is a shared practice area of quality and understanding with intellectual, aesthetic, and emotional integrity.”
It further defines this as:
“…A capital city has indispensable facilities: opera houses, universities, and museums collectively form the identity of the capital. A modern art center walks alongside the concept of a contemporary capital. The mission of these institutions is to process and transmit large cultural data. The method they design to transmit this must be free and horizon-expanding. Like a signature. This is the educational mission of CerModern…”
Tümer adds that they aim for CerModern to be a “living place”:
“We adopted a human-centered mode of operation. First, it should internalize the current state of the city, then produce together with the city, and be a showcase. We try to establish direct relations with all intellectual and practical activities produced for the city and follow them. Sometimes, like life itself, we bend and twist, but I think this makes us feel real.”
CerModern’s Water Nymphs
Speaking of CerModern, one cannot skip the story of the Water Nymphs statue standing in front of the venue and almost merging with CerModern itself. Once again, from Zihni Tümer:
“In mythology, water nymphs (Nymphs), who are displaced in every story and serve the gods, unfortunately lived the same adventure in this world. I have a special connection with this statue. When my first bicycle was gifted, the furthest place I could go outside the neighborhood was this statue. I would rest there and return. I’m sure everyone my age has a memory with this statue standing in Tandoğan Square. This statue was gifted to Ankara in 1924. It was the capital’s first ‘furniture.’ The mayor of Milan said, ‘Our cities are built around statues.’ There is no information about the artist, but it certainly came from a qualified workshop. The statue, which was relocated five times, eventually waited 17 years in the backyard of a municipality, broken into pieces. The story starts here. Yaşar Sökmensüer from Hürriyet Ankara informed me of its location 12 hours after I said I was looking for it. With the special interest of Ertuğrul Günay, it was removed and taken to a workshop for repair. Since one of the two cast heads on the Water Nymph statue was kept, a mold was taken and a new copy was made. Within a month, the pool and repairs were completed, and it found its place in the garden of CerModern. The place where it was installed was designed in the project and perhaps became a regular spot…”
CerModern’s 15th Year Exhibitions
On the occasion of CerModern’s 15th anniversary, the institution opens the doors to a new era by emphasizing the transformative power of art and the importance of sustainability. As one of Turkey’s leading contemporary art centers, CerModern presents Sevincy’s photo exhibitions “Our Return Will Be Magnificent” and “Magical Italy” to the audience on its 15th year.
Our Return Will Be Magnificent
Sevincy’s exhibition titled “Our Return Will Be Magnificent” draws attention to sustainability topics through the language of contemporary art. The exhibition features striking works made from plastic and digital waste; from the universe of “Trashformer,” where artificial intelligence turns into a plastic king, to “Plastic Bomb,” reflecting the emotional impacts of war, from culturally satirical works like “Helal Porsche” to allegorical sculptures about nature. The exhibition offers not only an aesthetic experience but also but also an opportunity to reflect on environmental issues and the relationship between humans and nature.
The exhibition’s title, “Our Return Will Be Magnificent,” conveys a hopeful message about the possibility of regeneration and renewal through conscious actions, highlighting the responsibility of individuals and societies towards the planet.
Magical Italy
The second exhibition, “Magical Italy,” offers visitors a visual journey through Italy’s rich cultural and natural heritage, seen through the eyes of Sevincy. The photographs capture the magical and timeless beauty of Italian landscapes, architecture, and daily life, inviting the audience to pause and appreciate the delicate balance between tradition and modernity.
This exhibition emphasizes the importance of cultural preservation and environmental respect, aligning with CerModern’s sustainable and holistic approach to art.
CerModern’s Vision for the Future
With its 15th anniversary, CerModern reaffirms its mission to serve as a dynamic platform for contemporary art, education, and sustainability. It continues to foster dialogue among artists, audiences, and communities, while promoting awareness about ecological challenges and encouraging creative solutions.
CerModern invites everyone to participate in this celebration of art, culture, and environmental consciousness — a milestone that promises a sustainable and inspiring future.
