This paper examines and historicizes the neo-avant-garde strategies that took place in Turkey in the late 1970s and its role in establishing different norm in Turkey within an evolving socio-political culture specifically in Istanbul. The ruptures in Turkey’s sociopolitical history, have led to a fragmented historicity, cultural amnesia and a fundamental cultural and political identity crisis, affecting the evolution and circulation of neo-avant-garde practices. The political connotations of the neo-avant-garde scene in the late 20th century continues to inform Istanbul’s artistic community and contemporary art scene. By providing a historical background for the rise of the idea of avant-garde, as well as looking at the works of the artists who were sent to Western Europe in the post-war period with state funds for art education as a part of the top-down and cosmetic modernization process in 1950s, this research will look at the avant-garde’s ongoing impact in the current art practices and culture scene. By looking at group exhibitions that focus on how neo-avant-garde had emerged through collective practices, specifically the exhibition series A Cross-section from Avant-Garde Turkish Art (1986, 87, 88, 90), New Directions (1977-1994), A,B,C,D (1986-92), 1st Istanbul Biennial (1987) as well as the effect of art education institutions and universities on these activities, this paper will temporalize the neo-avant-garde movement as a moment during the politically turbulent years of the late 1970s and 80s. 1970s established a subtle but fundamental relationship between today’s political environment and the transformation of Turkey’s social structure through globalization, and observed a break from cosmetic westernization process and formalist style into forming a more critical perspective. By looking at the recent exhibitions and activities focusing on the avant-garde movement between the years of 1970s and 80s, as well as the works of contemporary artists currently defining the art scene in Turkey this research will examine the renewed interest in the neo-avant-garde period.