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Sevda and Can Elgiz

Sevda and Can Elgiz collect Turkish and international contemporary art, and founded what began in 2001 as Proje4L, described as the first private contemporary art museum in Turkey. It became the Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art in Istanbul, a space for their collection with temporary shows and a rooftop for sculpture and land art. They received the IFEMA Amigos de ARCO collecting award in 2013.

Artists named in the collection

Tracey Emin, Paul McCarthy, Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Gilbert & George, Wolfgang Tillmans, Stephan Balkenhol, Azade Köker, Nilbar Güreş, Adnan Çoker, Ferhat Özgür

On record

  • Received Turkey's Contemporary Arts Foundation Honour Award in 2014.
  • The roof became an open-air sculpture and land art space of about 1,500 square metres in 2012.

Institutional roles

  • Founders, Elgiz Museum
  • Founding member, Global Private Museum Network (museum)

Questions

What does Sevda and Can Elgiz collect?Sevda and Can Elgiz collect Turkish and international contemporary art, and founded what began in 2001 as Proje4L, described as the first private contemporary art museum in Turkey. It became the Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art in Istanbul, a space for their collection with temporary shows and a rooftop for sculpture and land art. They received the IFEMA Amigos de ARCO collecting award in 2013.

Which artists are in the Sevda and Can Elgiz collection?Cited sources name works by Tracey Emin, Paul McCarthy, Barbara Kruger, Julian Schnabel, Gilbert & George, Wolfgang Tillmans, Stephan Balkenhol, Azade Köker.

Can the public see the collection of Sevda and Can Elgiz?Yes. Works are shown at Elgiz Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

Sources

  1. First movers of Istanbul: Can and Sevda Elgiz, Sotheby's
  2. Elgiz Museum, Wikipedia
  3. Elgiz Museum, My Art Guides

Last verified 2026-10-31.