Beyond The Apparent

A Selection from the Art Collection of  
The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey
1 November - 31 December 2011

The collection of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, which was founded on 3 October 1931, is comprised of modern/contemporary works of art, such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and installations created with different techniques and means of expression by artists of different generations, who were born between 1882 and 1960, and produced their respective works over a hundred years from 1908 onwards to date. As the collection brings into view key currents and discussions in Turkey, it also offers an idea about the changing art concepts during this process.

Although a definite record is not available, 1931 may be proposed as the year that marks the creation of the collection. It can be assumed that the collection began to take its form once the Atatürk photographs S. Süreyya Bükey and Jean Axel Weinberg took the same year as the bank’s inauguration and painted over were purchased, for display in various areas of the bank. The impetus behind the collection was the encouragement and support given to state institutions and organizations to purchase art works from exhibitions held at the People’s Houses (Halkevleri), The Association of Fine Arts, and the State Museum of Painting and Sculpture, which gained momentum with the establishment of the Turkish Republic.