Sustainable Collaboration in Art with the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum
As the Art for Goodness Association, we are conducting a comprehensive and visionary collaboration with the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum to bring together Anatolia's cultural heritage with contemporary art and pass it on to future generations. Our Artist Residency program is implemented under the leadership of Kamuran Selin Bozkurt, Chair of the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum Advisory Board, and guided by the advisory board members, and is crowned with prestigious international awards won by our museum.
The visionary contribution of our advisory board team, brought together from different disciplines, has played a fundamental role in the success of these projects and the international recognition of our museum.
Artist Residency Projects
• 2023 – “The Memory of the Sieve”
Artist: Loya Kader Öztürkmen
In this project, which focuses on the labour of Anatolian women and the healing power of the earth, the traditional sieve object, which is on the verge of being forgotten, has been transformed into a monumental work of art.
• 2024 – “Migration Route”
Artist: Büşra Aydagün
This project, centring on the phenomenon of migration and the theme of belonging, visualises traces of collective memory through art using the soil of Bayburt and clothing collected from the local people.
• 2025 – “Separation from the Land”
Artist: Ezgi Sandıkçı
This project, symbolising the fading culture of communal work and social transformation, focuses on traditional agricultural tools such as the tandoor, scythe, sickle, and scythe. The artist reinterprets these tools with the language of contemporary art, impressively conveying the transformation of Anatolia.
Each Artist Residency project is designed with the shared vision of Kamuran Selin Bozkurt, Chair of the Advisory Board of the Kenan Yavuz Ethnography Museum, and the board members; it brings together the multifaceted cultural richness of Anatolia with the universal language of contemporary art.
Baksı Museum: 2025 Contemporary Exhibition and Permanent Collection Information Letter
Current Exhibition: “Timeless and Temporal” – Seçkin Pirim
Baksı Museum hosts Seçkin Pirim, one of the original names in contemporary sculpture, with its 2025 contemporary exhibition. Titled “Timeless and Temporal,” the solo exhibition brings together Pirim's works from recent years, created using various materials such as marble, paper, and acrylic. The curatorial approach of the exhibition highlights the artist's understanding of movement from “to the whole,” and his exploration of temporal and timeless layered surfaces as the main theme. Along with works specially created for the Baksı Museum, the exhibition presents sculptures that question the artist's life and art. The exhibition will be open to visitors until November 3, 2025.
Current Exhibitions: “Silent Lives, Great Stories” and “Utopia Workshops”
This summer, the Baksı Museum also stands out with the “Silent Lives, Great Stories” exhibition, which highlights collective memory and traditional production. It tells the story of Helga Franke's life, woven with patience and passion, through the hand-crafted lace and embroidery she produced over 100 years. The exhibition brings together works of art representing migration from Germany to Australia and personal production in Bayburt.
Additionally, the “Utopia Workshops” exhibition presents works from diverse disciplines, including sculpture, video, performance, textiles, and installation, with a broad participation of young artists and established names. The works address contemporary issues such as ecological fragility, memory, belonging, and transformation.
Baksı Museum Permanent Collection
The Baksı Museum's permanent collection encompasses contemporary Turkish art alongside traditional handicrafts, Anatolian folk paintings, and unique regional productions. The museum's collection includes leading works of Turkish sculpture such as Kemal Tufan's "Submarine," Tuğrul Selçuk's "Tree of Life," Aloş's "Snake," and Koray Ariş's "Two-Headed," as well as characteristic Anatolian art productions such as textiles, ceramics, and handwoven textiles. Furthermore, the Bayburt-specific ehram weaving and design products form an important part of the collection; traditional techniques and motifs, on the verge of being forgotten, are reinterpreted with a contemporary approach.
By presenting contemporary art alongside traditional production, the museum makes a sustainable contribution to the cultural heritage, ecological sensitivity, and production traditions of Eastern Anatolia; it continues to offer viewers a multi-layered encounter of art and culture.