This autumn, the city once again opened its doors to contemporary art with the 16th Istanbul Biennial. “The Child within Me”, the gorgeous exhibition staged at the magnificent Abdülmecid Efendi Pavillon in Nakkaştepe, has been the most striking of all smaller art events that took place simultaneously with the Biennial. 100 works of 60 artists selected from Ömer M. Koç’s private collection addresses “the playful” side in you. The exhibition has attracted more attention than expected, and has been extended until the 29th of December.

While you are at the Abdulmecid Efendi Pavillon, you won’t be able to look away from the exquisite tiles and hand-drawn patterns ornamenting the interior walls and ceilings. Located within the 200-decare Bağlarbaşı Grove, the Pavillon was built as a hunting lodge by the Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha in the late 1800s. After the death of Ismail Pasha, the mansion was purchased by Sultan Abdulhamid II for his uncle Abdulmecid Efendi, the last caliph. Abdülmecid Efendi, an art-lover and painter, used the mansion for art and literature reunions, as well as political meetings. The mansion was later bought by Koç Group during the era of Yapı Kredi Bank’s founder Kâzım Taşkent, and is still a part of the bank’s social facilities, lately hosting contemporary art exhibitions as well.