SALT Beyoğlu

SALT conducts interdisciplinary research projects, and hosts public programs such as exhibitions, talks, film screenings, lectures, performances, and workshops.

SALT is a member of L’Internationale—a confederation of European museums which aims towards a shared use of collections and archives. Far from championing a hierarchical and centralized internationalism, L’Internationale consists of a constellation of cultural agents that are locally rooted and globally connected. It proposes a space for art within a non-hierarchical and decentralised internationalism, based on the values of difference and horizontal exchange.

SALT programs are run with an integrated approach at SALT Beyoğlu and SALT Galata in Istanbul, and at SALT Ulus in Ankara. The buildings of SALT Beyoğlu and SALT Galata have been re-purposed from their former use by Mimarlar Tasarım/Han Tümertekin.

SALT Beyoğlu opened on April 9, 2011, with an exhibition area of 1130 m2, spaces for social interaction, and a garden on the fourth floor. The history of the building on İstiklal Avenue dates back to 1850s-1860s. During that period it was known as “Siniossoglou Apartment,” with the ground floor hosting various commercial activities, while the upper floors were for residential use. When the population of Beyoğlu dropped in the 1950s, residential activity in the building came to an end, and commercial, political, and cultural programs took over.