EXHIBITIONS

Panorama: Dreams and Places 

February 19–October 18, 2026 

Aiming to present a thematic narrative on contemporary photography and lens-based art in Türkiye, “Panorama: Dreams and Places” brings together a comprehensive selection of works produced since the 2010s by 18 artists from different generations. The exhibition is on view in the galleries on the first floor of Istanbul Modern. The participating artists respond to the pressures and upheavals of today’s world through dreamlike landscapes, alternative visual geographies, and imagined realms shaped by their artistic practices. 

Through abstract topographies, fictional portraits, and inner spaces, these works do not offer an escape but rather create spaces where breathing – and pausing – become possible again. Reflecting the artists’ inquiries and explorations into the possibilities of photography, the exhibition spans a wide range of practices, from installations and moving images to artificial intelligence applications and archival materials. In doing so, it reminds us that photography not only reflects the world but also constructs new emotional and spatial imaginaries, inviting moments of stillness, contemplation, and renewal. 

Artists: Larissa Araz, İlgen Arzık, Emre Baykal, Silva Bingaz, Hasan Deniz, Umut Erbaş, Cem Ersavcı, Ece Gökalp, Cemre Yeşil Gönenli, Ege Kanar, Zeynep Kayan, Metehan Özcan, Yusuf Sevinçli, İrem Sözen, Selim Süme, Kerem Uzel, Begüm Yamanlar, Cansu Yıldıran 

Exhibition Curators: Çelenk Bafra, Demet Yıldız Dinçer Curatorial Team: Selen Erkal, Şevval Yürüten 

Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors 

January 22–September 6, 2026 

“Aria of All Colors,” a major exhibition devoted to Semiha Berksoy (1910–2004), celebrates a pioneering artist whose versatility and resolve enabled her to break new ground in both Türkiye and Europe. The exhibition brings together her expansive body of work – spanning the performing arts, visual arts, cinema, and literature – and offers a comprehensive look at the creative universe she built over the course of her extraordinary career. With more than 200 works on view, the exhibition makes visible the many layers of Berksoy’s world while highlighting the singular connections she forged between opera, theater, painting, and writing. 

From her early drawings to her opera-themed paintings inspired by the stage, from her self-portraits and portraits to her large-scale sheet paintings, the exhibition presents Berksoy’s personal mythology and her profound relationship with performance through a thematic structure. The operas she starred in, the plays she performed, her published short story, and her role in Istanbul Streets, Türkiye’s first sound film, collectively reveal the full scope of her contributions to the world of art. Drawing on the dynamism of Berksoy’s life, these works both broaden our understanding of the universality of art and illuminate the creative force of the human spirit. 

Curators: Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, Deniz Pehlivaner 

Assistant Curator: Yazın Öztürk 

Renzo Piano: Genius Loci 

“Renzo Piano: Genius Loci” focuses on the architecture of Istanbul Modern’s new museum building and its design and construction process, which spanned six years. Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), the new building greets art lovers at the same location where Istanbul Modern opened its doors in 2004 as Türkiye's first museum of modern and contemporary art. The title of the exhibition refers to the architectural understanding of Renzo Piano, whose vision is to integrate tangible elements and non-physical qualities of the building site. 

“Renzo Piano: Genius Loci” examines in detail the design process and structural components of the new museum building, which Piano designed taking inspiration from the light and atmosphere unique to the Bosphorus and Istanbul. The exhibition also surveys the various artistic and cultural projects that Renzo Piano has realized throughout his career in different parts of the world as well as the transformation Istanbul Modern has undergone since its foundation. “Renzo Piano: Genius Loci” is located at the entrance of the library on the museum’s ground floor, which is open to the public free of charge. A Turkish-English monograph on Istanbul Modern’s new building, prepared by the Renzo Piano Foundation as part of the book series on RPBW buildings, presents the reader with a record of the new building’s journey. 

Curator: Ümit Mesci 

Workshops 

Family Art Workshops 

2–10 years old 

On weekends, Istanbul Modern carries out education programs that children can participate with their families. Designed in parallel with exhibitions and led by a museum educator, the programs are organized for families of children of different ages. 

Click here for details.  

Summer Art School 

7-10 years old 

Istanbul Modern Art offers an art-filled program for children during the summer holiday. Held between July 7 and August 28, 2026, the program invites children aged 7 to 10 to explore artworks with museum educators and take part in creative workshops. 

Each workshop in the Summer Art School begins with an examination of selected artworks from the museum’s collection exhibition. Children then discover examples from art history of art and complete the workshop by creating their own artistic productions. 

Each workshop in the Summer Art School education program focuses on different concepts of art and various methods of production. Held on weekdays except Mondays, the workshops run on a repeating schedule throughout the summer. Participants can register for one or all workshops by selecting the dates that suit them. Istanbul Modern presents a Summer Art School Participation Certificate to those who attend at least four of the eight different workshops on offer! 

Click here for details.