Our Mission: What does IMOGA do? What can you expect to find at IMOGA?

IMOGA’s founding value has been to provide information and education to raise awareness and facilitate understanding of original printmaking in Turkey. This foundational value was shared by the other art studios established by Süleyman Saim Tekcan, which served as the prelude to IMOGA. Original printmaking was first introduced in Turkey at Mimar Sinan University before Süleyman Saim Tekcan established his studios; however, it had not yet made an impact in the field. Many artists at the time did not prefer utilizing original printmaking as a technique in their artwork since it had not been developed to be used in a complementary way for artistic expression.

Süleyman Saim Tekcan introduced and further developed the technique and acquired the interest of other artists through the studios he established, ensuring that original printmaking could be a means for artists to generate unique artwork that resonated with their artistic vision.

The primary purpose of IMOGA, an institution that emerged from the life and experience of Süleyman Saim Tekcan, is to broaden the horizon for artists to produce with original printmaking techniques and to ensure their convergence upon this technique. IMOGA also aims to ensure that the works produced with original printing techniques reach the art audience.

IMOGA started to serve in the building where it is located in 2004, in order to preserve, document, create and exhibit a very large collection, as well as to continue its tradition of studio production.

Thus, IMOGA documented and formalized the prints produced by leading artists of the Turkish art world between 1970 and 2004, and created a memory of this period.

In the Çamlıca Art House founded by Süleyman Saim Tekcan, the works produced from 1970 until 2004, when IMOGA was opened, were kept, documented and archived enabling a memory to be created in the name of Turkish printmaking.

The original printmaking technique was instrumentalized in creating this memory; at that time, very important artists came to the studios established by Süleyman Saim Tekcan from 1970 onward, and produced works that give life to IMOGA today. Thus, a collective compilation that was not found in any other institution emerged.

By 2004, the protection and preservation of the works produced by these artists, many of whom were no longer alive, was of great importance. At IMOGA, these works have been preserved, archived and documented as a museum collection. IMOGAs collection is important not only for printmaking, but also for representing an important element of Turkish art.

Great importance was given to the storing and exhibiting conditions at IMOGA. Very special environments were required for the storage of paper products. When choosing materials in the workshop, attention was paid to the use of durable, long-lasting materials, cotton paper, natural / handmade paper with extended life spans, and root dyes.

With great care in display, a special framing workshop was established, and acid-free mats were used. Today, production in IMOGA's studio still continues in this way.

Today, IMOGA continues to offer production opportunities under studio conditions to artists selected in accordance with certain criteria.

IMOGA remains fully committed to the goal of sustaining the importance of traditional printmaking arts, ensuring that it is kept alive, in light of the development of digital technology.

Today, visitors to IMOGA have the opportunity to see how an etching is printed using traditional techniques. With its mission of storage, documentation, archiving, committing to memory, producing, training and teaching, IMOGA as a living museum presents its visitors with the opportunity to witness an important collective memory of Turkish art, while also enabling the exhibition of a world-scale inventory of printmaking art.