Ayça Okay, born in 1991 in Izmir, is an esteemed curator and art writer primarily based between Istanbul, Barcelona and Berlin.
A member of AICA Turkey (Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art) and CIMAM (International Committee of Museums and Collections of Modern Art), Okay’s career is marked by significant achievements. Since 2018, she has curated exhibitions for various collections, including Borusan Contemporary Museum, Baksı Museum, Contemporary Istanbul Foundation, and the Yves Rocher Foundation. Additionally, Okay has collaborated with projects, spaces, and galleries such as Vorfluter Projektraum, Scope Berlin, and Somos Arts in Berlin. She has been actively engaged with LOOP since 2022, serving as both a scouter and advisor, fostering connections and collaborations across Europe and the Middle East.
She curated a solo exhibition for prominent Turkish contemporary artist Canan Tolon titled Limbo, which refers to the idea that life is a continuous and uninterrupted flow, which enables us to include the opposites of existence, extinction, construction, and destruction.In addition to consulting art projects for corporate organizations like Turkish Airlines and QNB-FinansBank, she was the Art Programs Director at Contemporary Istanbul Foundation. She engaged in fundraising projects with the Consulates General of Ukraine and Poland.
In 2022, the SAHA Association supported her as a member curator for the CIMAM platform, which selected three curators from Turkey. Her articles have been published at Medium, Stir World, Milliyet Sanat, and Artdog Magazine. She moderated and participated in panels and meetings at Loop Barcelona Fair, BASE Istanbul, and the Collective Healing Project Public Program supported by ZOMA Museum in cooperation with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Turkish Women Association.
Okay’s approach to contemporary art emphasizes the creation of unique discourses on contemporary issues, rooted in diverse processes such as thoughts, ideas, texts, and experiments. Notably, she was elected as a board member of BAKSI Museum and TÜSİAD BBI (Berlin Bosphorus Initiative).
Currently, Ayça Okay is conducting research on the Greek art scene and collection of the National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens (EMST) as part of the International Curators Visiting Program. Simultaneously, she is curating an extended collection exhibition at BAKSI Museum slated for 2024. With her dedication to advancing contemporary art discourse, Okay continues to play a significant role in the art community.
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