The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) was founded in 1973 with the goal of offering the Turkish public opportunities to experience the finest examples of cultural and artistic production from around the world and learn about new initiatives and movements. Further objectives included introducing the world to Türkiye's cultural and artistic assets and transforming Istanbul into a major international centre for culture and the arts.
The general objectives of the Foundation are
to make Istanbul one of the world's foremost capitals of culture and the arts;
to create continuous interaction between national and universal values and traditional and contemporary values via culture and the arts;
and to contribute actively to the development of cultural policies.
The activity fields of the Foundation are
In addition to organising festivals, biennials and events in Türkiye and abroad, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts is involved in conserving traditional arts and cultural heritage, encouraging and facilitating artistic production in diverse disciplines, and contributing to the development of cultural policies.