DİRİMART

Founded by Hazer Özil in 2002 in Istanbul’s Nişantaşı district, Dirimart has been instrumental in strengthening Istanbul’s role in the global art world by cultivating long-lasting relationships with prominent international artists. It has successfully introduced internationally acclaimed artists, including Thomas Bayrle, Hermann Nitsch, Shirin Neshat, Bernard Frize, Julian Rosefeldt, Candida Höfer, Franz Ackermann, Peter Zimmermann, Sarah Morris, and Ghada Amer among others to the Turkish art scene. Dirimart’s first gallery space was located in Nişantaşı, Istanbul’s center for high fashion and entertainment, which has also been populated by art galleries since the 1970s. Dirimart Nişantaşı hosted more than 100 exhibitions until its closing at the end of 2018. Inaugurated in May 2016, Dirimart’s second gallery space in Istanbul, Dirimart Dolapdere, is a significant addition to the contemporary art scene in the city. Designed by architect Markus Dochantschi of Studio MDA, New York, it includes a generous exhibition and office space as well as an outdoor sculpture garden, making it one of the largest galleries in Istanbul. The opening exhibition was curated by Heinz Peter Schwerfel and featured both Turkish and foreign artists—Franz Ackermann, Haluk Akakçe, Ayşe Erkmen, Bernard Frize, Isaac Julien, Sarah Morris, Shirin Neshat, Eva Rothschild, Tomás Saraceno and Ebru Uygun. Today located in two distinct locations within the Beyoğlu periphery, Dolapdere and Pera, the gallery divides its program between established artists, such as Ayşe Erkmen, İnci Eviner, Canan Tolon, Sarkis, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Sarah Morris, Anselm Reyle, Jorinde Voigt, Tomokazu Matsuyama, and Karin Kneffel and emerging artists, such as Çiğdem Aky, Çağla Ulusoy, Berke Yazıcıoğlu, and Ebru Duruman. The gallery, through Dirimart and RES Publications (est. 2007), also continues its well-established series of catalogues, artist books and books on art theory.