The Elgiz Museum was founded by collectors Sevda and Can Elgiz as the first contemporary art museum in Turkey in 2001. As, at that time, no other public contemporary art museums and/or foundations existed; this privately-owned, internationally recognized, non-profit institution, that was expanded on a 2000 m2 space, took on the mission to support the development of contemporary art.
Since its foundation, the space functioned as an experimental art platform for young, up-andcoming artists and curators. It has carried out important projects that brought together many young artists and curators with the principle of patronnage in art and made Turkish contemporary art visible in the international platform.
The Elgiz family decided to transform their art institution, into a private collection museum in 2005, as they renamed as Elgiz Museum. While continuing this mission, the Elgiz Museum houses the family’s collection in the permanent collection section and hosts dynamic, avant-garde, temporary exhibitions in the other section, and holds educational programs. Elgiz Museum, has transformed its two thousand square meter terrace into an open-air sculpture exhibition area in 2010, and has been calling the young sculptors with a different theme every year. In 2013 the Elgiz Museum was given the ARCO “A”
Award for International Collection and in 2014 received the Turkey’s Contemporary Arts Foundation Honour Award. It is also a founding member of the Global Private Museum’s Network (GPMN) and a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
“Contemporary art presents the hopeful prospect of a society at peace with its cultural heritage.” - Can Elgiz
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