Founded in 1976, Maçka Art Gallery celebrates its half-century-long artistic journey as of 2026 with a special exhibition conceived with reference to the gallery’s history and spatial memory. Having borne witness to the institutionalization process of contemporary art in Turkey, the gallery has served for fifty years as a lasting meeting ground for artists, ideas, and generations. The exhibition “Frames from 50 Years” takes its inspiration from the square form used in the space by the gallery’s architect, Mehmet Konuralp.

The exhibition brings together works from the gallery’s collection that were produced in different periods and interpret the square form. As the square possessing a broad conceptual scope in art history is reread through works by artists from different generations, the exhibition offers a space of dialogue that renders visible Maçka Art Gallery’s fifty year artistic journey. On the screens accompanying the exhibition are presentations of the gallery’s exhibitions over the past 50 years that focused on the square, along withSerhat Kiraz’s “Image Plane.”

This exhibition is not only an anniversary celebration for Maçka Art Gallery, but also a work of memory and a trace left from the past toward the future. Having opened up space for art, artists, and thought for fifty years, Maçka Art Gallery honors its past while offering a strong framework for the future through this special exhibition.