Yapı Kredi Culture Arts and Publishing has opened a landmark exhibition in Istanbul titled "Imprints on the Century: The Koç Group and the Arts," running until November 29, 2026, at the Yapı Kredi Culture Center in Galatasaray. Curated by YKYM Gallery Director Didem Yazıcı over two years, the show commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Koç Group, tracing its evolution from a small business registered by Vehbi Koç in 1926 to a global industrial conglomerate. The exhibition draws on archives from the Sadberk Hanım Museum, Arter, and the Rahmi M. Koç Museums, highlighting the group's contributions to archaeology, museology, contemporary art, publishing, and theater, including milestones like the first color film in Turkey and the Bauhaus-inspired Küçük Sahne theater.
This exhibition matters because it reframes corporate legacy through cultural impact, showing how private passions—such as Sadberk Koç's artifact collection and Rahmi M. Koç's mechanical fascination—evolved into major public institutions that have reshaped Turkey's cultural landscape. By weaving together personal archives with public gallery spaces, the Koç family has effectively created a "public interest money box" for the nation's culture, redefining the private sector's role in institutionalizing art. The show also demonstrates how industrial heritage can be harmonized with contemporary artistic practice, offering a model for other corporations to engage with cultural memory and national identity.