İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
36 years and counting
İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1973 by seventeen businessmen and art enthusiasts who gathered under the leadership of
Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı with the aim of organising an international arts festival in İstanbul.
The Foundation’s initial goal was to offer the finest examples of art from around the world, while at the same time promoting the national, cultural and artistic assets of Turkey, by using arts to create an international platform of communication. The first International İstanbul Festival, organised in 1973 on the 50th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Turkish Republic, covered a period of one and a half months and focused mainly on classical music. Soon after, it included other artistic fields in its programme such as film screenings, theatre productions, jazz and ballet performances, and art exhibitions held in historic venues. As public interest grew, groups of events organised in different artistic disciplines gradually evolved into distinct festivals.
Presented as a separate section under the name “International İstanbul Filmdays” in 1983, the film week transformed into the International İstanbul Film Festival in 1989; 1987 marked the beginning of the International İstanbul Biennial; in 1989 the International İstanbul Theatre Festival was initiated, followed by the International İstanbul Jazz Festival in 1994, the same year that the International İstanbul Festival changed its name to the International İstanbul Music Festival.
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts initiated a social responsibility project and founded the İstanbul Friends of Culture and Arts Tulip membership programme with the intention of protecting cultural heritage and fostering the development of arts. As the programme gathers art enthusiasts under one roof, it also provides its members a variety of privileges during İKSV-organised events including the İstanbul Festivals.
The same year, İKSV made a decision to organise innovative, smaller events in addition to the İstanbul Festivals. Beginning with Filmekimi (a week of film screenings in October) in 2002, The Foundation continued to add brand new events to its portfolio such as Phonem by Miller (alternative rock and electronic music performances in November) and Minifest (3 days of children’s activities in the summer) in 2003. In 2006, İKSV assumed the organisation of the bi-annual Leyla Gencer Voice Competition, from its 4th edition onward.
The Foundation has been committed to bringing together different cultures and contributing to the creation of a platform for multicultural dialogue. In this respect, İKSV organises a series of international festivals in major European cities. This journey began in 2004 with “Şimdi Now” in Berlin and continued with “Şimdi Stuttgart” in 2005, “Turkey Now” in Amsterdam and Rotterdam in 2007 and 2008, and Russia in 2008. Next stop is scheduled for Vienna, Austria in 2009. The “Cultural Season of Turkey in France” activities to be held between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010 are also organised by İKSV, in collaboration with Culturesfrance. İKSV has been organising the Pavilion of Turkey at the Venice Biennale since 2007.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2007, İKSV realised the landmark İstanbul Festivals and other innovative events with a renewed enthusiasm. On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Mawlana Jalal-aldin Rumi, İKSV welcomed Béjart Ballet Lausanne, the troupe of originally creative choreographer Maurice Béjart, for a special performance entitled “Best of Béjart & Rumi” in İstanbul.
2008 was no different, bringing world famous artists and groups such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and R.E.M. together with the İstanbulites.
2009 marks a turning point in İKSV’s history as the headquarters move from its home on the historic İstiklal Street in Beyoğlu to another building full of history, Deniz Palas.
Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı
Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, the leading figure in the establishment of İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), was born in İzmir, on 5 January 1913. A dedicated enthusiast and supporter of culture and arts, Eczacıbaşı became acquainted with arts when he started taking private violin lessons during primary school. After graduating from Robert College of İstanbul, he decided to study chemistry, and went to Germany for his undergraduate studies. In the following years, Eczacıbaşı continued studying chemistry, receiving his master’s degree from Chicago University and his PhD from Berlin University. Eczacıbaşı returned to Turkey in 1940s, and founding the Eczacıbaşı Pharmaceutical Factory, he played an important role in the development of pharmaceutical industry in Turkey.
The idea of organising a festival in İstanbul emerged in the mid-60s. In order to realise his dream, Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı worked tenaciously for many years inviting important figures who took part in the organisation of prominent festivals around Europe to İstanbul, and continuing his meetings in both Turkey and abroad, he established contacts with individuals who could prove to be invaluable in realising of such a festival in İstanbul. When Turkey’s Ministry of Culture was established in 1971, Eczacıbaşı’s enthusiasm about and faith in the possibility of a festival was heightened. Finally, a meeting organised in 1972 laid the foundation of İKSV. Among the principal founders of İKSV, supporting Eczacıbaşı, were businessmen, artists and art enthusiasts, namely; Afif Tektaş, Reşat Aksan, Bülent Tarcan, Aydın Gün, Yıldız Kenter, Prof. Mazhar Şevket İpşiroğlu, Ercüment Berker, Cüneyt Gökçer, Mükerrem Berk, Mehmet Önder, Semih Günver, Cemal Süreya, Kazım Eke, Cengiz Altuğ, Ambassador Muharrem Nuri Birgi and Cevat Memduh Altar.
Following the official establishment of the Foundation, the first İstanbul Festival was also realised in 1973, as part of celebrations of the Turkish Republic’s 50th anniversary. While the Festival was widely appraised on both national and international levels, in 1974, the Council of Europe awarded Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, the director of the Festival Aydın Gün, and Head of Cultural Affairs Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Semih Günver with medals, acknowledging the immediate success İKSV achieved among the international art festivals from around the world.
Eczacıbaşı believed that every businessman had a social responsibility of contributing to the advancement of the society, and acting upon this belief, in addition to İKSV, he supported the establishment and continuity of many other foundations, including Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı Foundation and İzmir Foundation for Culture, Arts and Education (İKSEV).
Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, who was committed to the promotion of culture and arts all through his life, is also the author of two books published by Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı Foundation Publications; Kuşaktan Kuşağa (Generation to Generation, 1982) in which he gathered his memoirs, and İzlenimler, Umutlar (Experiences and Expectations, 1994), which he completed shortly before he passed away in 1993.
