INSTITUTIONAL DISCIPLINES OF CULTURE AND ART PROJECTS OF ISTANBUL, 2010 EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE; ISTANBUL CULTURE AND ART ASSOCIATION, SAMPLE OF CULTURE INC.

The importance of culture and arts for the development of the country was comprehended from the first years of the Republic. Many institutions were established and many activities took place in order to spread the arts and creating awareness in people on this matter. In time, especially in Istanbul, the number of exhibits, exhibition halls and international activities increased and different institutions made investments in arts. 1980s were the years in which first initiative and support for the project of making Istanbul a world city in terms of urban transformation. In 1973 festivals and in 1987 biennials started to take place and there has been great improvements made in the 2000s in fields such as the art of collection. Together with this cultural and artistic mobility, Istanbul was chosen as the “European Capital of Culture” in the year 2010. Though there have been positive/negative criticisms towards Istanbul’s 2010 European Capital of Culture process, this election put forth the importance of culture and arts for the country once more. In this study, the projects/activities held by the two institutions (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Kültür A.Ş.) that played active roles in this important process for Istanbul are analyzed in a sociological context with examples.