Omer Koc
Omer Koc collects contemporary and classical art, and chairs Arter, the contemporary art museum in Istanbul established in 2010 under the Vehbi Koc Foundation. Arter's collection, more than 1,300 works in 2019 and about half by Turkish artists, belongs to that foundation's programme rather than to him personally. It moved to a Grimshaw building in Dolapdere in 2019.
Artists named in the collection
Sigmar Polke, Mona Hatoum, Theaster Gates, Sarkis, Ayse Erkmen
On record
- ArtReview named him among its most influential people in contemporary art in 2016.
- He also holds a large Iznik pottery collection and Ottoman objects and books.
- The inaugural Dolapdere show, Starter, presented more than 160 collection works by 87 artists.
Institutional roles
- Chair, Arter
Questions
What does Omer Koc collect?Omer Koc collects contemporary and classical art, and chairs Arter, the contemporary art museum in Istanbul established in 2010 under the Vehbi Koc Foundation. Arter's collection, more than 1,300 works in 2019 and about half by Turkish artists, belongs to that foundation's programme rather than to him personally. It moved to a Grimshaw building in Dolapdere in 2019.
Which artists are in the Omer Koc collection?Cited sources name works by Sigmar Polke, Mona Hatoum, Theaster Gates, Sarkis, Ayse Erkmen.
Can the public see the collection of Omer Koc?Yes. Works are shown at Arter in Istanbul, Turkey.
Sources
- Game-changer museum to open in Istanbul in time for city's biennial, The Art Newspaper, 2019
- Omer Koc, Wikipedia
- Arter (art center), Wikipedia
Last verified 2026-10-31.