Contemporary Art Collecting in Türkiye

Collecting in Turkey, which showed a development parallel to the liberal economy particularly after the 1980s, began to become visible in the 1990s through publications and exhibitions. Some of the collections focusing on modern and contemporary art transformed into private museums in the 2000s, contributing to the cultural development of society while continuing to enrich themselves. Contemporary Art Collecting in Turkey explains the subject with its historical and economic background from the Ottoman Empire to the present day. Addressing the effects of fairs, exhibitions, competitions, and auctions—which have an important place in the development of the art market—on collecting, the book also covers the debates on museology and private museology that have been on the agenda for a long time. The book also touches upon private collections that had to be sold off at auctions due to the economic crisis in the 1990s, explaining the role of the bulk sale of these collections in the development of collecting. Focusing on the beginning, development, and musealization processes of the Elgiz, Sabancı, Eczacıbaşı, and Kıraç collections and their effects on the Turkish art market, the book, as the first of its kind, offers satisfying content for those looking for resources on the development of art collecting and the establishment of private museums in Turkey.