Hacettepe Art Museum is an academic institution established by Hacettepe University to create a contemporary “university museum model,” and it holds the distinction of being the first art museum in Ankara. Opened to visitors in 2005 with an exhibition titled “Koleksiyon 1” the museum aims to document Türkiye's recent accumulation in plastic arts and to create an institutional memory in the field of visual arts. The museum was created by converting warehouses located in Hacettepe University's Sıhhiye Campus, which previously belonged to the Faculty of Pharmacy.
Hacettepe Art Museum (Hacettepe Art Museum Official Website)
Aim and Mission
The primary founding purpose of the museum is to contribute to Ankara's cultural infrastructure by combining the university's academic accumulation with art production and collection activities, and to develop a sustainable model for contemporary art museology. Hacettepe Art Museum aims to be an accessible art and education space not only for the university community but also for art enthusiasts, students, and children in the capital and neighboring cities.
The institution organizes exhibitions and events covering various disciplines of contemporary art; it emphasizes academic, artistic, and cultural collaborations both within and outside the university. In this context, it hosts national and international artists through both permanent collection exhibitions and temporary exhibitions.
Collection and Artists
The Hacettepe Art Museum collection includes important works reflecting Turkish art history from the 20th century to the present day. The collection boasts an interdisciplinary diversity, covering painting, sculpture, ceramics, original prints, photography, glass, installation, and video art.
Interior (Hacettepe Art Museum Official Website)
Among the artists featured in the museum's collection are prominent names such as Burhan Doğançay, Devrim Erbil, Turan Erol, Hikmet Onat, Feyhaman Duran, Osman Dinç, Hüsamettin Koçan, Ferhat Özgür, and Gökşin Sipahioğlu. The collection was significantly enriched through donations, especially during the restoration period carried out between 2015 and 2017. During this period, approximately 80 new works were added to the collection, including 8 Doğançay works donated by Angela Doğançay.
Other contemporary artists who have contributed to the collection include Mengü Ertel, Bülent Erkmen, Sadık Karamustafa, Jale Erzen, Kemal İskender, Tülin Onat, Cevat Demir, Hanefi Yeter, Serpil Yeter, Bünyamin Özgültekin, Nedret Sekban, Nezih Çavuşoğlu, Bahri Genç, Devabil Kara, Bahar Kocaman, Mürteza Fidan, Erkan Özdilek, Zafer Mintaş, Çağrı Saray, Orkun Mustafa Müftüoğlu, Sema Ilgaz Temel, Özlem Üner, Mehmet Ali Uysal, Mehmet Yılmaz, Cezmi Orhan, Atila İlkyaz, Genco Gülan, Nurdan Karasu, Hayri Esmer, Lütfi Özden, Ahmet Öğüt, Barış Sarıbaş, and Mehmet Öğüt.
Faculty members from Hacettepe University's Faculty of Fine Arts have also contributed to the museum's collection by donating works at various times. These names include Cebrail Ötgün, Hasan Kıran, Zuhal Baysar, Serap Emmungil, Nil Köken, Ozan Bilginer, Havva Altun, Aslı Işıksal, Mehdi Saadeti, Seval Şener, Burcu Sultan Demir, Tuba Merdeşe, Engin Esen, Ceren Selmanpakoğlu, and Okan Ercan.
An Example of Exhibited Works (Hacettepe Art Museum Official Website)
Exhibitions and Events
At Hacettepe Art Museum, in addition to permanent collection-based exhibitions, temporary exhibitions focusing on contemporary art are organized. In 2011, retrospective exhibitions of Devrim Erbil and Turan Erol were held, and an exhibition collaboration was made with Gökşin Sipahioğlu in the field of contemporary photography. In 2017, on the occasion of Hacettepe University's 50th anniversary, an exhibition titled “Tomorrow is Built Today: Hacettepe Art Museum New Collection” was presented to art lovers at CerModern.
Collection (Hacettepe Art Museum Official Website)
Education and Community Interaction
The museum functions not only as an exhibition space but also as a supporter of research, teaching, and art education activities. Programs are specifically conducted for children and young people to encourage early access to art. The museum has adopted the mission of spreading aesthetic and artistic awareness, integrating art into life, and guiding new generations towards creative thinking.
As a university-supported art institution, Hacettepe Art Museum undertakes the task of preserving and promoting Türkiye's modern and contemporary art heritage; with its multidisciplinary collection and dynamic exhibition programs, it brings art to a wide audience. It continues to contribute to the development of contemporary art museology with the understanding that “tomorrow is built today.”
