Borusan Contemporary is an associated institution of Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation, which is a subsidiary of Borusan Holding. Borusan Contemporary opened its doors in September 2011. The institution offers a multi-platform program of exhibitions, events, educational activities, new commissions, and site-specific installations, Borusan Contemporary Art Collection spans 30 years of collecting. It is located in Perili Köşk (the Haunted Mansion), one of the iconic buildings of Istanbul , and is open to the public during weekends.
In 2007, the building was leased by Borusan Group, renovated and has been used as Group headquarters since then. As the building was designed as office space, the exhibition areas and training rooms are integrated with the office infrastructure. This means there are certain restrictions in terms of allocating space for children’s workshops, events, and meetings. Borusan Contemporary’s core activity is preparing exhibitions that are either curated from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection or organizing shows with guest curators and artists included in the collection.
Moreover, Borusan Contemporary plans extensive education, events and programs designed for children aged between 5-12, and adults. Through these programs, Borusan Contemporary welcomes thousands of visitors each year.
As part of the educational programs, Borusan Contemporary opened its blog in 2018. Digital content was created focusing on the exhibitions organized in Borusan Contemporary, and artists included in the collection. The content is designed to give in-depth information about the exhibitions and artwork, as well as to enhance the artistic and curatorial perspectives. The aim is to educate the audience on how to look at media artwork and create new engagement opportunities for the audience. Two posts are published online each month. Furthermore, the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection commissions numerous artists, both local and foreign, to produce new artwork. These commissioned pieces are also included in the collection. Thus, collecting is not limited to existing groups of works, as it also aims to contribute to the art world through this patronage activity.
In 2019, Borusan Contemporary planned five exhibitions. In March, of the three exhibitions open to visit, two were curated from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection, They are Uttered and Left Unfinished All The Loves in the World and Overture: Selections from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection. The exhibition was named after one of Turgut Uyar’s poems, They Are Uttered. Turgut was one of the pioneers of Turkish literature. In comparison, Overture presents a selection of works recently added to the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection. Another exhibition that opens in March is Bosphorus by Boomoon. Boomoon is a South Korean photographer who launched a project commissioned by the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection.
In fall 2019, two new exhibitions were opened for art lovers to visit. The first exhibition was of Bill Viola: Impermanence, one of the pioneers of video art. This solo exhibition is the first in Turkey dedicated to the artist. Ten artworks, from 1969 to 2015 are being exhibited until September 13, 2020. The other exhibition, the extended version of They are Uttered and Left Unfinished All the Loves in the World, is curated from the collection.
A total of 14,388 people visited Borusan Contemporary’s exhibition in 2019. Borusan Contemporary opens to arts audience for weekend visits as part of the Borusan Group’s transparency policy. It is rare to see corporations willing to share their headquarters with the public.
Borusan Group is aware of the vital place culture and art have in society. As a result, Borusan Contemporary strives to extend its reach and enhance the interest in the arts.
