In 1862, Mehmet Müfit Paşa, who published the first science magazine, “Mecmua-i Fünun”, placed a giraffe statue in the garden of his mansion in the area known today as Göztepe and Erenköy. Because of this statue, local people came to call the area “Zürafalı Bahçe” (the Giraffe Garden).

Sadly, as no football team was ever founded under the same name, this historic name has been forgotten today. In this area, the three giraffe statues in front of the Istanbul Toy Museum, which opened in 2005, are street lamps that light up the darkness of the night.

Eighteen highly valued artists, each producing wonderful work in their own field, now express themselves through the art of toys and create the giraffe toy of their dreams, to raise awareness about protecting the memory, dreams and values of Istanbul, a city that loses more of its grace every day.

Sadly, in Istanbul today we see that even giraffes, among the most graceful symbols of nature, have necks that are too short among the urban buildings that rise at random, unplanned and uncontrolled, with no harmony between them, all for the sake of profit!

Yet with their unique beauty, giraffes appear in the history of art, in paintings that show paradise, as an image of pure beauty and of a promised happy life.

In this exhibition, where toys and art come together, you are in the giraffe’s dream day, in search of a more beautiful and more natural life.

The exhibition is open to visitors from 1 March to 1 June, on weekdays except Mondays from 10:00 to 18:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 18:30.

Artists:

Burak Beceren, Burak Şentürk, Bülent Gültek, Cihan Gelerli, Cincinius, Ece Ağırtmış, Fatih Öztürk, HAM, Kilink Custom Toys, Moklich, MRE, Murat Kalkavan, Nature Kreature, Selin Arısoy, Tahtoy, Tuba Girgiç, Vamk, Yiğit Yerlikaya.