The Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion in the Nakkaştepe neighborhood, a significant example of late Ottoman architecture, is to host the “Child Within Me” exhibition. The selected works were picked from the collection of Koç Holding CEO Ömer M. Koç, during the 16th Istanbul Biennial. The exhibition, which has been visited by approximately 100,000 people since its opening on Sept. 20, 2019, has been extended until Dec. 29 due to intense demand. The exhibition, which has been meticulously laid out by Ömer M. Koç at every phase, combines more than 100 works from artists from Turkey and across the world, with some pieces dating back to the 17th century and others still from currently active contemporary artists.
Károly Aliotti, the exhibition's art consultant, invites visitors to use the works as inspiration to listen to the child within – a habit many lose over time. The exhibit offers work harnessing a range of techniques and media, from paintings to photography, sculptures, installations and more. The exhibition can be seen from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week, except Mondays.
Child Within Me was originally prepared in line with the Istanbul Biennial. The biannual event, set to be sponsored by Koç Holding between 2007-2026, overlaps with the Koç Group's aim of preserving cultural heritage to expand public access to art, and once again highlights the group’s commitment in those areas.
Child Within Me
Child Within Me invites art enthusiasts to listen to the child within themselves to arose a sense of curiosity that encourages one to push one's inner limits. Recalling the remark by famous writer Antoine de Saint Exupéry, author of “The Little Prince” that “All grown-ups were once children... but only a few of them remember it,” the exhibition offers visitors a journey to the child within them through Picasso's oil painting, The Little Prince's original drawings, contemporary art, and installations specially produced for this exhibition.