Founded in 1976, Maçka Sanat Galerisi celebrates its half-century artistic journey in 2026 with a special exhibition conceived in reference to the gallery’s history and spatial memory. Having witnessed the institutionalization of contemporary art in Turkey, the gallery has served as a lasting meeting point for artists, ideas, and generations over the past fifty years.
The exhibition “Squares from 50 Years” takes its inspiration from the square form used in the space by the gallery’s architect, Mehmet Konuralp. Bringing together works produced at different periods and included in the gallery’s collection, the exhibition focuses on artistic interpretations of the square. A form that occupies a broad conceptual field in art history, the square is re-examined through the works of artists from different generations, while the exhibition creates a space for dialogue that makes visible Maçka Sanat Galerisi’s fifty-year artistic adventure. On accompanying screens, visitors can view a selection of exhibitions from the past five decades that centered on the square, along with Serhat Kiraz’s “Image Plane.”
This exhibition is not merely an anniversary celebration for Maçka Sanat Galerisi; it also serves as an act of memory and a trace left from the past to the future. For fifty years, the gallery has opened space for art, artists, and ideas. With this special exhibition, it both honors its past and offers a strong framework for the future.
Participating artists: Ayþe Erkmen, Ayþen Urfalýoðlu, Daniel Buren, François Morellet, Füsun Onur, Güneþ Çýnar, Halit Demirel, Murat Germen, Ömür Tokgöz, Rabia Seyhan, Serhat Kiraz.
The exhibition can be visited between January 20 and February 28, from 12:00 to 19:00, except on Sundays and Mondays.