When a city’s art collection stops being a static archive and becomes a living dialogue, you feel it in every gallery wall, every donated piece, and every story whispered through portraits. The Memory of the Collective exhibition at Artİstanbul Feshane does precisely that for Istanbul, weaving centuries of art—from the Ottoman era to the Republic—into a dynamic, publicly accessible experience. This is not a passive display; it’s a curated conversation about memory, identity, and the evolving cultural landscape of a metropolis that treats art as a shared public good.
IMM Collections: A Living Corridor Between Past and Present
The IMM Art Collections trace their roots to late 19th and early 20th century reform-era initiatives and have since grown through strategic acquisitions, generous donations, and steadfast public responsibility. The exhibition situates thousands of works from the Atatürk Library, Aşiyan Museum, and City Museum under one expansive umbrella. This consolidation is more than logistical; it’s a deliberate curatorial choice to foreground memory as a collective asset, housed within a city that continually redefines its modern identity.
A Redefinition of Public Access: 627 Works, 187 Artists
One of the exhibition’s most striking aspects is its scale and accessibility. With 627 works—including pieces donated by prominent artists, families, and institutions—the show offers a panorama of Istanbul’s artistic evolution. Visitors encounter a balance of masterworks and archival materials that illuminate social hierarchies, cultural orientations, and representation policies across eras. The inclusion of portrait-rich collections provides a visual archive of the city’s shifting self-image—from imperial esteem to republican modernity.
The “Resmemaneti” Collection: A Core Thread
Central to the exhibition is the Resmemaneti collection, a term that signals the shared memory embedded in the city’s artistic production. This selection stands as a critical throughline, showing how Istanbul’s collectors and creators interpreted memory, status, and urban transformation. It’s not just about pretty pictures; it’s about how visual narratives shape collective memory and influence how future generations understand the city’s past.
Donations as a Driving Engine
From revered artist families to independent researchers, the donor network fuels the IMM collection’s vitality. Donations don’t merely swell the inventory; they extend the city’s cultural public sphere, inviting citizens to engage, interpret, and contribute to a shared heritage. The exhibition foregrounds this dynamic by highlighting the donor ecosystem that moves art from private hands into public life, turning a museum into a living forum for ongoing dialogue.
Confluence of Institutions: Aşiyan, Şehir, and Atatürk Library
The show presents a curated convergence of institutional collections—Aşiyan, Şehir, and Atatürk Library—alongside newer acquisitions. This integration reveals how institutional memory compounds over time, creating a layered narrative that blends archival documentation with creative production. It’s a practical demonstration of how a city can steward memory through collaborative curatorship, public programs, and thoughtful display strategies.
Portraying Istanbul: Portraits as a Social Mirror
Portraits occupy a central role in IMM’s narrative. They are not merely likenesses; they are social artifacts that map the city’s changing hierarchies, tastes, and political sensibilities. The portrait collection offers a potent lens on how Istanbul’s elites and everyday figures alike were imagined, represented, and memorialized as the republic emerged. This makes the exhibition especially compelling for scholars and general readers who crave a granular, human-centered view of history.
Access and Experience: A Year-Long Public Offering
Accessibility is baked into the exhibition’s core: visitors can explore the entire collection for a full year at Artİstanbul Feshane, with hours from 10:00 to 20:00 daily except Mondays. The year-long free access underscores the IMM’s commitment to broad public engagement, enabling students, families, researchers, and curious locals to immerse themselves without financial barriers. This accessibility is essential for building long-term public trust and fostering a culture of ongoing cultural participation.
Historical Trajectory: From Tanzimat to Contemporary Curation
The exhibition also offers a chronological arc that traces Istanbul’s artistic evolution from the Tanzimat reforms through the founding decades of the republic. It highlights how collections migrated across venues—the Revolution Museum, the Beyazıt Madrasa, Gazanfer Ağa Madrasa, and the Yıldız Palace—before settling into a modern, public-facing identity. The result is a narrative that connects imperial prestige with democratic aspirations, illustrating how memory is preserved, contested, and remodeled by successive generations of curators and patrons.
Leadership and Vision: Akıncı Collection and Public Dialogue
The exhibition’s curation borrows from notable collectors, including the Akıncı Collection, which adds a curated perspective on how personal archives intersect with public memory. This collaboration exemplifies how private stewardship can become public infrastructure, enriching the city’s cultural discourse. The project invites visitors to see memory not as a fixed relic but as a surface for dialogue between individual experiences and a shared cultural ground.
Why This Exhibition Matters for Today
Beyond its historical interest, Memory of the Collective speaks directly to contemporary debates about public art, accessibility, and memory rights. It demonstrates that a city’s artistic identity is an ongoing project, shaped by who owns, preserves, and interprets artworks. By centering public access, donor participation, and cross-institution collaboration, the exhibition models a scalable approach for other cities seeking to democratize cultural heritage while preserving scholarly rigor and curatorial depth.
Practical Guide for Visitors
- Location: Artİstanbul Feshane
- Dates: 13 December 2025 – 13 December 2026
- Hours: 10:00–20:00 daily, closed Mondays
- Admission: Free for a year
- Key highlights: Resmemaneti collection, 627 works, 187 artists, portraits, donor stories
As you navigate through the halls, you’ll notice how memory becomes a shared responsibility. Each piece invites reflection on Istanbul’s layered identities—from imperial radiance to republican modernity, from courtly patronage to citizen-led cultural stewardship. The exhibition doesn’t just display objects; it activates memory, encouraging visitors to question how art is collected, displayed, and valued in a way that serves the public good.
