SAHA
SAHA Association was founded to support artists, curators, and writers working in visual arts from Turkey in improving their production and development environments, and to enhance their interactions with international art institutions and networks. Since 2011, SAHA has supported approximately 550 artists, curators, writers, and art initiative projects approximatively in 200 non-profit museums, biennials, and art institutions in 46 countries.
Founded in 2011 by nine founding members and by the contributions of 31 members, SAHA believes in the importance of the collective effort to create an independent “field” [saha] that helps integrate art from Turkey into the universal artistic ecosystem. SAHA is a not-for-profit organization that offers its support to visual arts through a participatory approach in governance and fundraising with its members, institutional supporters, project partners, and consultants.
SAHA collaborates with not-for-profit organizations to realize exhibitions, publications, projects, and public programs by the invited artists and curators; over the course of the specific project, SAHA acts as a facilitator and gives production grants if necessary. SAHA establishes partnerships with residency and research programs abroad to facilitate the participation of art professionals from Turkey; works directly with the artists and curators invited to SAHA Studio in Istanbul for their new projects and to expand their networks.
SAHA also helps art institutions and professionals to conduct research in Turkey and to produce new projects with artists and curators that they would like to invite. SAHA develops funds and programs geared towards contemporary art biennials, art initiatives, and art writers in different parts of the country to foster the sustainability of independent artistic production in Turkey.