ÇIRAĞAN PALACE KEMPINSKI ART GALLERY
Çırağan Palace Kempinski İstanbul, who believes that cultural heritage is a necessity, not a luxury, supports art & culture through various, continuous and different events all year around, all free of charge. The only Ottoman Imperial Palace & Hotel of Turkey is fully aware that it has a special mission to support art and culture. To serve this purpose, we have opened an Art Gallery on the Ground Floor of the historical Çırağan Palace. Since its opening in May 2007, we have hosted more than 35 valuable painting exhibitions of Turkish and international artists. Each exhibition lasts 6 weeks, and the opening is realized with a cocktail party where eminent İstanbullus come together at the Çırağan Palace, which is usually accompanied by a performance of dance, music or poetry.
Çırağan Palace Kempinsi Art Gallery is open 24 hours/7 days, admission is free of charge. During summer, a photography retrospective of the past season is exhibited, and new exhibitions restart in September.
ÇIRAĞAN CULTURAL FORUMS
During each exhibition, another valuable art event takes place at the Art Gallery; “Çırağan Cultural Forums”. Çırağan Cultural Forums host prominent artists and academicians who talk about a topic that is connected to the ongoing exhibition. A question and answer session is carried out right after the speech. Admission is free, reservation is necessary.
CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS
Since March 2009, classical music lovers enjoy the Chamber Music Concerts, which feature pieces from classic music giants such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. The Chamber Music concert series takes place on the first and last Saturday of every month, at 11.00 hrs. at the Çırağan Palace. Guests enjoy delicious coffee before the music begins. These concerts are a legacy of the traditional concerts that have been organized many years in the most important cultural center of İstanbul that is under renovation at the moment – Atatürk Cultural Center. A small break is given to concerts during summer, and then the music feast starts again in September. Admission is free; reservation is necessary.
ÇIRAĞAN READINGS
Another pioneer project is Çırağan Readings; book readings, organized on a periodical basis and each with a crowd over 100 people for the first time in Turkey. Since May 2009, Çırağan Readings which has started a book reading tradition in Turkey hosts each month well known Turkish and international authors who read an excerpt from their latest book to guests, followed by a book signing. Admission is free, reservation is necessary.
HOTEL FLOOR GALLERIES
Çırağan Palace Kempinski İstanbul’s hotel corridors are much more than being a passage to rooms; its large elevator landings have been turned into “Hotel Floor Galleries” ornamented with original artworks as of April 2010.
These private galleries adorned with attractive and original artworks of Turkey’s living legends and valuable international artists consist of works of masters that the The Çırağan Palace Kempinski Art Gallery has been hosting since its opening in May 2007. Named as “Gallery One East’”, “Gallery One West” and so on, these galleries give hotel guests a pleasant cultural experience just walking to/from their rooms, and add another unique element to the Çırağan Palace Kempinski İstanbul.
SCULPTURE GALLERY
Çırağan Palace Kempinski İstanbul has an alfresco sculpture gallery in its hotel garden, which at the same time is only the second gallery in Turkey to exclusively exhibit sculpture.
The gallery's first exhibition which consisted of 9 statues by renowned Turkish artists such as Ergin İnan, Hüsamettin Kocan, Tuğrul Selçuk, Yunus Tonkuş and Ercan Yılmaz has opened on June 16th, 2010. Çırağan Palace Sculpture Gallery, in front of the East façade of the historical Çırağan Palace which itself is a work of art, hosts new artists every 6 weeks. The gallery is open only in the summer and the exhibitions are open 24 hours/7 days; admission is free of charge.
MOVIE TALKS
Launched in January 2011, four times a year, in the Movie Talks, guests watch a movie together with the director, producer and the leading actor/actress of the movie where they have a chance to talk to them after the movie, followed by a cocktail. Admission is free, reservation is necessary.