Why is the Centre Pompidou collection currently in İzmir?

With the Centre Pompidou in Paris closed for major renovations until 2030, the institution has expanded its international loan program, which typically manages 6,000 works annually. Lumina: The Art of Color and Light, a curated selection of 83 pieces from the collection, opened on September 26 at the Lucien Arkas Art Center in Bayraklı and will remain on view until February 14, 2027. Curators Anna Hiddleston and Noémie Fillon have organized the exhibition into seven distinct sections, tracing the evolution of light in art from Fauvist Mediterranean color palettes to the kinetic surfaces of Op Art masters including Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely, and Jesús Rafael Soto. The exhibition also features works by Joan Mitchell, Etel Adnan, and Gerhard Richter.

What is the focus of the 'Kıyı Hafızası' exhibition in Suadiye?

The Kıyı Hafızası (Coastal Memory) exhibition at Decollage Art Space features work by nine artists—Zahit Büyükişleyen, Özlem Üner, Serap Atala, Atilla Atala, Devabil Kara, Veysel Günay, Fevzi Karakoç, Yalçın Gökçebağ, and Resul Aytemür—produced during a seven-day residency on the Black Sea coast of Şile. Rather than documenting the location, the artists utilized the coastal setting as a new environment to shift their individual studio practices. The title references British mathematician Lewis Fry Richardson, who observed that the measured length of a coastline changes depending on the scale of the ruler used. The exhibition runs through November 15.

A view from the Şile Lighthouse looking toward the rocky coastline, the castle tower, and the turquoise Black Sea
A view from the Şile Lighthouse toward the castle and the coast, June 2025. Nine artists participated in the residency program here. Photo: Zach1055 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

What are the main themes of Burak Kutlay’s exhibition at MERKUR?

In Eşiğin Sessizliği (The Silence of the Threshold), on view at MERKUR until November 8, artist Burak Kutlay explores the tension between human-made environments and the natural world. Combining canvases with mixed-media works on wood, Kutlay depicts cities, screens, and the circulation of digital imagery alongside mythological and historical motifs. Kutlay, who studied at Marmara University and later completed his master’s thesis on urban imagery in Turkish painting, presents a reflection on how societies construct artificial environments as they distance themselves from nature.

What exhibitions are currently on display in Ankara?

Two exhibitions are currently running on Şehit Mustafa Doğan Caddesi in Ankara. Sema Öcal’s Kök (Root), hosted at the Galeri Soyut, features 18 acrylic paintings on canvas that explore identity through layered, dual faces and organic forms. The exhibition remains open through October 17. Meanwhile, the Zülfü Livaneli Cultural Center, located on the same street at number 59, is hosting a joint exhibition featuring works by Türkan Şoray and Yalçın Gökçebağ, which runs through October 15. Both exhibitions offer free admission to the public.

Notes and Sources

  1. Arkas News, “Centre Pompidou Koleksiyonundan 83 Eser İzmir’de: Lumina Lucien Arkas Sanat Merkezi’nde Açıldı”, September 2026; Centre Pompidou, “Lumina: The Art of Color and Light”, 2026–2027.
  2. Centre Pompidou, “2025-2030, Centre Pompidou is transforming itself!”; Centre Pompidou, “International”. Accessed October 5, 2026.
  3. Ahmet Buğra Tokmakoğlu, “Paris’e gitmeye gerek kalmadı! Dünyaca ünlü müzenin 83 eseri İzmir’de”, Ege Telgraf, October 4, 2026.
  4. Wikimedia Commons, Robert Delaunay, “Windows Open Simultaneously (First Part, Third Motif)”, 1912, Tate; public domain.
  5. Bayrak Haber, “Kıyı Hafızası 6 Ekim’de Decollage Art Space’te Açılıyor”, October 2, 2026; Kalenin Sesi, “Dokuz Sanatçının Şile Deneyimi Kıyı Hafızası’nda”, October 2026.
  6. Wikimedia Commons, “Şile Kalesi from Şile Feneri, Şile, İstanbul Turkey 2025”, photo by Zach1055, June 8, 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  7. Decollage Art Space, exhibition announcement; Bayrak Haber, October 2, 2026.
  8. Arti5, “Burak Kutlay’ın Eşiğin Sessizliği Sergisi MERKUR’de”, September 27, 2026; Sanat Okur, “Burak Kutlay’ın Yeni Sergisi: Eşiğin Sessizliği”.
  9. MERKUR Gallery, contact and visiting hours; Istanbul Gallery Week, MERKUR profile. Accessed October 5, 2026.
  10. Galeri Soyut, “Sema Öcal”, October 2026.
  11. Yeni Ankara, “Türkan Şoray ve Yalçın Gökçebağ Sergisi”, September 29, 2026; Çankaya Municipality, September 2026.
  12. Forbes Türkiye, “Su Yücel’in endemik bitkileri konu alan sergisi Galeri Diani’de açılıyor”, September 30, 2026.
  13. İstanbul Modern, “Panorama: Hayaller ve Yerler”; “Semiha Berksoy: Tüm Renklerin Aryası”.
  14. Fikir Sanat, “Neş’e Erdok İlk Kez Mezun Olduğu Akademi’nin Müzesinde Kişisel Sergi Açıyor”, October 1, 2026; Milliyet, “Neş’e Erdok’un fırçasından”, October 1, 2026.