An Art Lover's Guide To Izmir Turkey

With its location by the Aegean coast as well as its rich history and consequent architecture, there’s plenty of inspiration for artists to create work in Izmir. As such, Turkey’s third largest city has plenty of great galleries that art lovers will fawn over.

1. Arkas Art Center

Exhibiting the personal collection of businessman and art enthusiast Lucien Arkas, Arkas Art Center is beautiful inside and out. Located in the former French Consulate, a neoclassical beauty with a great sea view, the 10 different rooms on two floors have displayed various genres from the Arkas Collection, including the Luminists, Ottoman and French cartography, Ottoman carpets, and Post-Impressionists (to name a few).

Arkas Art Center, 1380 Sokak No:1 Alsancak, Izmir, Turkey, +90 232 464 66 00

Courtesy of Arkas Art Center

2. K2 Güncel Sanat Merkezi

This non-profit organization not only hosts national and international exhibition projects but also organizes lectures, seminars, performances, and screenings as well as having a studio for guest artists. Certainly the most contemporary of Izmir’s galleries, K2 is a sustainable contemporary art venue that focuses on both up-and-coming artists as well as the more established names.

K2 Güncel Sanat Merkezi, Cumhuriyet Blv. No: 54 Büyük Kardiçalı Han Kat:2, Konak/Izmir, Turkey, +90 232 445 31 51

https://instagram.com/p/BShQpq3gmTY/

3. Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center

Art Gallery, Concert Hall

A truly striking architectural addition to Izmir’s urban landscape, the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center is known for the excellent acoustics in their classic music concert hall. However, the center also hosts the Alt Galeri, a large art gallery that focuses on plastic and contemporary art forms. Culture Trip recommends you visit the art gallery and then stay for a great concert.

5. Seba Art Gallery

Art Gallery

Seba Uğurtan, an art teacher with 20 years of experience and the acting general director of the Izmir Art Biennial, runs one of Izmir’s most interactive galleries. At Seba, you’ll find intensive art workshops as well as beautiful exhibitions from local artists.

6. Galeri Diogenes

Named after the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who was also one of the founders of the Cynic philosophy, Galeri Diogenes focuses exclusively on photography. The gallery, which opened in 2014, has been exhibiting both young talents as well as the more established names from the local and international photography scene.

Galeri Diogenes, Alsancak Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cad. 1485 Sokak N0o 8-A Konak/Izmir, Turkey, +90 232 404 40 46

7. Selçuk Yaşar Sanat Galerisi

Art Gallery, Museum

Located inside a beautiful old Izmir home, this museum and art gallery, established by businessman Selçuk Yaşar in 1985, is one of the first private art museums in Turkey. The space displays the private Yaşar Collection, including the winners of the DYO art competition, which has awarded around 196 international artworks since its inception in 1967.

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