The DOGANÇAY MUSEUM,
Turkey's first contemporary art museum, officially
opened its doors to the public in 2004. It is housed
in a historic 150-year-old five-story building located
in the heart of the bustling Beyoglu district of Istanbul.
The building was in a state of complete disrepair
when Burhan Dogançay purchased it in 1999.
Following a major four-year renovation, it was restored
to its former glory and its interior converted to
meet exacting museum standards. While the museum is
dedicated almost exclusively to the work of its founder
Burhan Dogançay-Turkey's foremost contemporary
artist-one floor has been set aside for the work of
the artist's father, Adil Dogançay.
BURHAN DOGANÇAY's
early artistic training was provided by his father
as well as the well-known painter Arif Kaptan. From
a young age, he learned the vital importance of good
drawing. During the early 1950s, Dogançay spent
a significant part of his student years in Paris studying
art at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière
while simultaneously pursuing his studies at the University
of Paris in law and economics, which culminated in
a doctorate degree. During this period he continued
to paint regularly and to show his works in several
group exhibitions. Soon after his return to Turkey,
he participated in many exhibitions, including joint
exhibitions with his father at the Ankara Art Lovers
Club. Following a brief career in the diplomatic service
which brought him to New York City in 1962, Dogançay
decided in 1964 to devote himself entirely to art
and to make New York his permanent home. Now, some
40 years later, the opening of Dogançay's own
museum in his native Istanbul marks a new chapter
in his life.
Burhan Dogançay is primarily known
for a body of work that grew out of his fascination
with urban walls. Spanning a period of over 40 years,
this preoccupation was inspired by his travels to
more than 100 countries and has been consistently
translated into his paintings, graphics, Aubusson
tapestries, sculptures and photographs.
Urban walls have a special meaning for
Dogançay: they serve as a testament to the
passage of time, reflecting social, political and
economic change. They also bear witness to the assault
of the elements and to the markings left by people.
This, according to Dogançay, is what makes
urban walls monuments to the human experience.
With over 100 works on
display, the museum offers a stunning visual survey
of the evolution of Dogançay's oeuvre, from
his early figurative paintings to his wall-inspired
art.
ADIL DOGANÇAY
was born in Istanbul in 1900. An officer in the Turkish
army, he was also a well-known painter. His works
are predominantly impressionistic land and seascapes
in oil on canvas. Few of his paintings are dated;
most of those on display in the museum were completed
between 1940 and 1990, the year he died. He received
his artistic training from Major ?eref Bey at the
Ey³p Military Academy and from Major Tahsin Bey,
a seascape artist from Diyarbakør, at the Topography
School. He fought in the Turkish War of Independence
and was awarded the Independence Medal. As a topographer,
Dogançay traveled all over Anatolia, which
gave him the opportunity to spend hours surrounded
by nature. The artist produced all his paintings outdoors,
calling nature his ægreatest teacherÆ.
Whenever possible, he would head into nature, paint
box in hand, searching for subjects to translate onto
his canvas.
Adress and Contact:
Dogançay
Museum
Balo Sokak No. 42
34335 Beyoglu/Istanbul - Turkey
Web site: http://www.burhandogancay.org
E-mail: burhandogancay@yahoo.com
More on the Light Millennium:
Book: Bridge
of Dreams - The Re-Birth of the Brooklyn Bridge (March-April
2000)
-- LMTV: Bridge
of Dreams with Burhan DOGANÇAY (February
2000)
-- Dogançay's
Hearts (January 2000)
-- Dogançay's
Fictional Biography written for the Light Millennium
(March-April 2000)
Ulysses
in Manhattan by Nilufer
KUYAS
(Fall 2001)
LMTV: "The
Walls of the World" (August 1999)
LMTV: "Bridge
of Dreams" (February 2000)
Are We A
Reflection of Black Holes? (March-April 2000)
(Accompany with Dogancay's 'Heart'
images)