Sustainable Collaboration in Art with the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum

As the Arts for Goodness Association, we are conducting a comprehensive and visionary collaboration with the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum to bridge Anatolia’s cultural heritage with contemporary art and to pass this legacy on to future generations.

Our Artist Residency Program, led by Kamuran Selin Bozkurt, Chair of the Museum’s Advisory Board, and implemented under the guidance of the board members, has been enriched by the prestigious international awards received by the museum.

The diverse expertise and visionary contributions of our advisory board—composed of professionals from various disciplines—have played a fundamental role in the success of these projects and in strengthening the museum’s international recognition.

Artist Residency Projects

* 2023 – “The Memory of the Sieve”

Artist: Loya Kader Öztürkmen

Focusing on the labor of Anatolian women and the healing power of the earth, this project transformed the traditional and nearly forgotten object of the sieve into a monumental work of art.

* 2024 – “The Migration Path”

Artist: Büşra Aydagün

Centered on the themes of migration and belonging, this project visualized traces of collective memory through soil from Bayburt and garments gathered from local residents.

* 2025 – “Detachment from the Earth”

Artist: Ezgi Sandıkçı

Highlighting the fading culture of imece (collective labor) and symbols of social transformation, this project focused on traditional agricultural tools such as the oven (tandır), eğiş, sickle, and scythe. Through a contemporary artistic language, the artist reinterpreted these tools to reflect the transformation of Anatolia in a striking manner.

Each Artist Residency project has been conceived under the shared vision of Kamuran Selin Bozkurt, Chair of the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum Advisory Board, and the board members, uniting the multi-layered cultural richness of Anatolia with the universal language of contemporary art.

Baksı Museum: 2025 Current Exhibition and Permanent Collection Information

Current Exhibition: “Timed and Timeless” – Seçkin Pirim

In 2025, the Baksı Museum hosts Seçkin Pirim, one of the distinctive figures of contemporary sculpture, with his solo exhibition titled “Timed and Timeless.” The exhibition brings together Pirim’s recent works produced with various materials such as marble, paper, and acrylic. The curatorial approach focuses on the artist’s principle of movement “from one to the whole,” emphasizing his exploration of layered surfaces that oscillate between the temporal and the timeless. Alongside works created specifically for Baksı Museum, the exhibition presents sculptures that question existence, life, and temporality. “Timed and Timeless” will remain open to visitors until November 3, 2025.

Current Exhibitions: “Silent Lives, Grand Stories” and “Utopia Workshops”

This summer, Baksı Museum also stands out with “Silent Lives, Grand Stories,” an exhibition that foregrounds collective memory and traditional craftsmanship. The exhibition showcases the century-long life and creations of Helga Franke, whose hand-crafted laceworks and embroideries narrate a life woven with patience and devotion. It brings together the artifacts of migration and personal production, extending from Germany to Australia, now displayed in Bayburt.

Additionally, the “Utopia Workshops” exhibition features a diverse participation of young and established artists across sculpture, video, performance, textile, and installation practices. The works engage with contemporary issues such as ecological fragility, memory, belonging, and transformation.

Baksı Museum Permanent Collection

The permanent collection of Baksı Museum encompasses both contemporary Turkish art and traditional crafts, including Anatolian folk paintings and local artisan works. The collection features prominent sculptures such as Kemal Tufan’s “Submarine,” Tuğrul Selçuk’s “Tree of Life,” Aloş’s “Snake,” and Koray Ariş’s “Two-Headed.” It also includes characteristic Anatolian art forms such as textiles, ceramics, and handwoven fabrics.

Among the highlights are ehram weavings and design objects unique to Bayburt, where traditional motifs and techniques are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.

By presenting contemporary art alongside traditional craftsmanship, Baksı Museum contributes sustainably to the cultural heritage, ecological awareness, and production traditions of Eastern Anatolia—offering visitors a rich and multi-layered encounter between art and culture.