Arkas Sanat Alaçatı

Anyone who has been a regular reader of my blogs knows that we are huge fans of the Arkas museums … founded by a Levantine family whose roots in İzmir go very deep. Each museum is different. We have visited every museum … some more than once.

Leaving the Picasso and Warhol exhibits, we decided that we would continue our day of “art immersion” with a 57-mile drive to Alaçatı — a neighborhood of the District of Çeşme — to visit the latest addition to the Arkas museums.

Established in an old laundry facility leased from the district, Arkas Sanat Alaçatı is described on the museum’s website as “a new stop in İzmir’s Art Route.” The museum is home to the Victor Vasarely exhibition. Vasarely, a Hungarian born French artist, is known for his geometric designs and optical illusions. His works are said to form the foundation of the Op Art Movement.

In addition to the Vasarely permanent exhibition, which is curated from the Arkas family’s own art collection, we enjoyed a temporary exhibit entitled “New Lands” … featuring 155 contemporary artists under the age of 40. Some of the pieces were … well, let’s just say interesting!Read more