Independent Collectors

Didem Erk – I wish I could not be tracked in the Archives (Secret Decipherer/Mistiko Spastis); Jolanda Jansen – Men’s Room; Canan - It was worth the evil eye into my world; Didem Erk - Anomalistic; Halil Altındere - Dance with Taboos II. Photo: Mr. Ozge Balkan

In the early 1990s, Agah Uğur was still collecting modernist Turkish painting. As the CEO of the giant Turkish industrial group Borusan explains, at that time he was primarily concerned with beauty. In 2008, however, he began to radically reorient his collection’s concept. Since then, he has focused on provocative art that grapples with social and political themes, such as the abuse of power or issues related to ethnic and religious identity. Many of the artists in the Agah Uğur Collection are from Turkey, like Füsun Onur, Cevdet Erek, or Aslı Çavuşoğlu, but international names are also represented, such as Bouchra Khalili or James Richards. In order to make the exquisite video collection available to a broader public, Uğur opened Why Not—a 170-square-meter exhibition space with five rooms for screening videos and an area for installations, next to his own residence. Half of the exhibits are rotated every six months.

Text by Sandra Danicke

The Agah Uğur Collection is featured in the BMW ART GUIDE by INDEPENDENT COLLECTORS.

For more information visit the Agah Uğur Collection.

Video work by Koki Tanaka titled “A Haircut by 9 Hairdressers at Once (Second Attempt)” at Why Not, exhibited in the Japanese Pavillon at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.

Nasan Tur – In my pants; Adrian Melis – Glories of a forgotten; Future Fusun Onur – Erratum Musicale; Fusun Onur – Untitled; Aslı Cavusoglu – A few Hours After Revolution; Erdem Tasdelen – Genealogy. Photo: Mr. Ozge Balkan

Living room in the house. The digital work above the balcony doors is “Day” by Cevdet Erek. The orange banner on the fireplace is by James Richards. Photo: courtesy of Agah Uğur

All images courtesy of the Agah Uğur Collection.

Turkey (5)

An exhibition at the Odunpazarı Modern Museum focusing on the the ways in which we define the Other

Eskişehir

The Elgiz Museum II

Since the early 1980s, Sevda and Can Elgiz have been aware of the worth of collecting contemporary art, long before it had fully entered the spotlight of Turkeys art scene.

Istanbul

Collecting the Elusive

In a small project space near Istanbul’s Taksim Square, Özge Ersoy and Haro Cumbusyan investigate into the complex world of collecting by bringing private art collections to the public view.

Istanbul

The Elgiz Museum I

An ever-growing family collection in Istanbul.

Istanbul

The Agah Uğur Collection

One of the largest video art collections in Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey (5)

Don’t Look Back, Deep is the Past

An exhibition at the Odunpazarı Modern Museum focusing on the the ways in which we define the Other

The Elgiz Museum II

Since the early 1980s, Sevda and Can Elgiz have been aware of the worth of collecting contemporary art, long before it had fully entered the spotlight of Turkeys art scene.

Collecting the Elusive

In a small project space near Istanbul’s Taksim Square, Özge Ersoy and Haro Cumbusyan investigate into the complex world of collecting by bringing private art collections to the public view.

The Elgiz Museum I

An ever-growing family collection in Istanbul.