Every manner of exhibition and art event takes place in Istanbul, but Ankara always seems to stand behind.
Even though the city has some acclaimed and long-running art galleries, Ankara’s destiny has been to stay the same, and it has never showcased itself like Istanbul.
When academic, artist and curator Ferhat Özgür gathered the works of Tracey Emin, Marie Laure Cazin, Ayşe Erken, Halil Altındere, Şener Özmen, Adrian Paci, Anri Sala, Erzen Shkololli, Aernout Mik, Silke Witzsch and Yael Bartana, this brought a new breath to Ankara, importantly developing its art scene.
However, even though Ankara saw the best shows and witnessed the works of very good artists, it has not been in Istanbul’s league. Nothing was holding it back, but there was something missing.
Ankara’s acclaimed galleries such as Nev and Doku tried to do everything to expand the art scene in the capital.
A newly opened art museum and gallery titled “Cer Modern” is one of the best art platforms and museums in Turkey with the shows and collections that it has been hosting.
However, what always held Ankara back was its lack of more galleries or art museums like Cer Modern. In Istanbul there are lots of contemporary art museums and galleries, but Cer Modern is the only of its kind currently in the capital.
The beautiful Cer Modern is supporting the thriving art scene in Ankara, but the city needs more. It is a fact that Cer Modern is even better than most of the galleries and museums in Istanbul. It fits all the requirements of how an art museum should be built.
For many years, beginning in the early days of the Republic, Ankara was always the capital of art with ballet, theater and opera shows. Now, the city needs more support in terms of contemporary art.
There are many good artists living and creating in Ankara and they deserve a new environment for art in Ankara.
Maybe we need more artists to focus on Ankara to develop its artistic environment, as well as more curators to focus on contemporary exhibitions in the city.