Istanbul Modern Current Exhibitions
Istanbul Modern
ISTANBUL
MODERN
Current
Exhibitions
Ömer Uluç: Beyond the Horizon
March 21–December 12, 2025
Istanbul Modern presents the solo exhibition of
Ömer Uluç (1931–2010) titled “Beyond the Horizon,” which showcases his artistic
journey. Bringing together different forms of expression that are key in the
artist’s practice through various themes, it features a comprehensive selection
of works from the 1960s to 2010.
The exhibition includes examples from various
disciplines such as patterns and drawings on paper, acrylic on canvas, collage,
and sculpture, along with Uluç’s works created with materials like rubber,
felt, aluminum, acrylic sheet, PVC, and polyester.
“Ömer Uluç: Beyond the Horizon” presents over 300
artworks by the artist, who pushes the boundaries of his time by exploring the
complex relationship between humanity and the universe. Inviting visitors to an
experience beyond time and space, the exhibition guides them to explore
Uluç's creative world.
Curators: Öykü
Özsoy Sağnak, Nilay Dursun
Assistant Curator: Naz
Uğurlu Benek
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/exhibitions/omer-uluc-beyond-the-horizon
İzzet
Keribar: Journey of Colors
November
6, 2024–May 25, 2025
"Journey of Colors" presents a selection
from İzzet Keribar's (b. 1936) vast archive of nearly 1.5 million images. The
exhibition highlights the formal elements that have become the artist’s
trademark, such as color, light, texture, and graphic composition. It also
reveals the artist's evolving style over the years, inviting viewers on a
vibrant journey through different times and places.
The first of the six sections within the exhibition
showcases Keribar's photographs from the 1950s, featuring images of Istanbul's
rapidly evolving street life and photographs of urban and rural settings in
South Korea. The second part presents works documenting everyday life in
various Istanbul neighborhoods starting from the 1980s. The third and fourth
sections explore nature and urban landscapes, showcasing Keribar's ability to
transform the “ordinary” into the “extraordinary” through his masterful use of
natural light and color. These images were captured during his travels
throughout Türkiye and abroad. The fifth section features portraits taken by
the artist in various parts of the world, while the final section highlights
Keribar's unique semi-abstract images.
"Journey of Colors" brings together
İzzet Keribar’s 125 photographs, aiming to remind us of our past ways of life
and environments, comprehend the world, and create a universal language through
imagery.
Curator: Demet Yıldız Dinçer
Assistant Curator: Şevval Yürüten
Chiharu
Shiota: Between Worlds
September
6, 2024–January 25, 2026
Chiharu Shiota's solo exhibition “Between Worlds,”
organized on Istanbul Modern’s invitation as part of the 100th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, centers on
the artist's sense of being “somewhere in between.” In shaping the exhibition’s
conceptual framework, Shiota draws on Istanbul's location between Asia and
Europe. She is also inspired by Istanbul Modern's location in Karaköy, one of
the city’s busiest districts and home to its historic, centuries-old harbor.
The artist weaves a connection between the ships docking and departing from the
harbor, the passengers traveling on these ships, their stories, and her own
migration story.
In her installation at Istanbul Modern, the artist
wraps the entire gallery with web-like red threads and places the suitcases
inside this intricate mass, emphasizing the theme of “presence in the absence.”
Red, the color most frequently used by the artist, represents the flow of blood
and life coursing through veins, metaphorically connecting people, emotions,
and memories. Each suitcase represents an individual from the artist’s
perspective. Tied together with red threads, these suitcases create a visual narrative
that makes the viewer question both personal and collective themes such as
home, belonging, and identity. In this manner, Shiota weaves concepts of time,
space, movement, and memory into her installations, and invites the viewers to
engage both physically and emotionally to complete their experience. Beyond the
objects they carry, suitcases also serve as conveyors of symbols, carrying
emotions and memories, bridging the past and the future.
Drawing inspiration from Istanbul's cosmopolitan
identity and the artist's own migration story, “Between Worlds” constructs a
contemplative space that invites viewers to reflect on their own lives,
memories, and relationships within the broader universal context of humanity.
Thus, Shiota’s universe of threads is not only visually captivating but also an
invitation to delve into the labyrinth of one's inner world.
Curator: Öykü
Özsoy Sağnak
Assistant Curator: Yazın Öztürk
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/exhibitions/current/chiharu-shiota-between-worlds
Floating
Islands
May 4,
2023–July 20, 2025
“Floating Islands,” Istanbul Modern’s 9th collection
exhibition, besides the permanent exhibition gallery, encompasses other spaces
throughout the building.
The exhibition presents a chronological selection from
the museum collection that traces the development and transformation of art
scene in Türkiye after 1945. Touching on different subjects and approaches,
from figurative paintings to installations and videos, the selection reveals
interactions between artists. While shedding light on the popular tendencies of
the time, each work also informs viewers about the specific style of the
artist.
“Floating Islands” pays homage to artists’
extraordinary imagination and spheres of influence. It indicates their
attachment to a specific place while also emphasizing the impact of their
thought and production beyond borders and geographies.
Artists: Kuzgun Acar, Murat Akagündüz, Erol
Akyavaş, Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin, Halil Altındere, Refik Anadol, Avni Arbaş,
Yüksel Arslan, Tomur Atagök, Kutluğ Ataman, Fikret Atay, Bedri Baykam, Aliye
Berger, Nurullah Berk, Sabri Berkel, Semiha Berksoy, Albert Bitran, Cihat
Burak, Anthony Cragg, Hüseyin Çağlayan, Adnan Çoker, Richard Deacon, Nejad
Melih Devrim, Burhan Doğançay, İpek Duben, Nezaket Ekici, Abidin Elderoğlu,
Olafur Eliasson, Devrim Erbil, Neş'e Erdok, İnci Eviner, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu,
Ara Güler, Mehmet Güleryüz, Neşet Günal, Nedim Günsür, Selma Gürbüz, Altan
Gürman, Balkan Naci İslimyeli, Ferit İşcan, Nuri İyem, Zeki Faik İzer, İhsan
Cemal Karaburçak, Gülsün Karamustafa, Şahin Kaygun, Zeynep Kayan, Ali Kazma,
Nur Koçak, Komet, Azade Köker, Yıldız Moran, Aydan Murtezaoğlu, Julian Opie,
Mübin Orhon, Kemal Önsoy, İrfan Önürmen, Ferhat Özgür, Serkan Özkaya, Şener
Özmen - Erkan Özgen, Ardan Özmenoğlu, Orhan Peker, Anselm Reyle, Adrián Villar
Rojas, Sarkis, Jennifer Steinkamp, Hale Tenger, Canan Tolon, Seyhun Topuz,
TUNCA, Selim Turan, F.Tülin, Ömer Uluç, Burhan Uygur, Richard Wentworth, Nil
Yalter, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Yılmaz Zenger
Curators: Levent Çalıkoğlu, Deniz Pehlivaner
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/exhibitions/floating-islands
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 Turkey'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
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/exhibitions
May
Events
Cinema
Henüz
metinler belli değil ayrıca ileteceğim.
Workshops
Weekend
Art Workshops for Children
7–14
years old
Children
take part in programs which are designed for specific age groups and focus on
exhibitions held at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, works of art featured in
the exhibitions, and the careers of artists whose works are exhibited.
Participants thus gain experience in different fields of art ranging from
painting, sculpture, and video to performance, design, and architecture.
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/education/children-and-families/weekend-art-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.
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/education/children-and-families/family-art-workshops
Eco Art
Lab: Sculpture Workshop with İsmet Değirmenci: From Natural Forms to Colors
Led by artist İsmet Değirmenci, this workshop explores
the connection between nature and humans through geometric shapes and colors.
Inspired by the impact of nature walks on the mind and body, it encourages new
creative approaches. Participants design sculptures using recycled materials
and come together to rethink nature.
Date: Sunday,
May 11
Time: 13.00–16.00
Venue: Eco
Art Lab
Duration: 180
mins
This event is free of charge.
This program is held in Turkish.
For details: +90 (212) 334 7341
Museums
Talk: From the Netherlands
For the first event of the “Museums Talk: From the
Netherlands” program, on Wednesday, May 14, Istanbul Modern hosts Sjarel Ex,
who served as the Director of the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam
from 2004 to 2022. The conference series is organized in collaboration with the
Consulate General of the Netherlands in Istanbul.
In the second event of the program, Rein Wolfs, the
Director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, will give a talk at Istanbul
Modern on Tuesday, May 27.
Sjarel Ex
Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
17.30 Film screening: DEPOT
– Reflecting Boijmans, 86'
19.00 Talk: A New Typology for Museums and Storage
Venue: Istanbul
Modern Auditorium
In his talk, Sjarel Ex focuses on the responsibility
of museums to develop independently, while connecting art and artists with
society. In this context, he discusses how museums can reach out to society in
transparency, introducing new methods, and exploring the museum medium as a
platform for improving and developing the human mind and life. Ex advocates a
dynamic role and an open mind to change, to make an art institute of importance
and to let it flourish. One of the issues to elaborate on is how collections in
storage can become more accessible, known, and of importance to the public. In
addition, Ex emphasizes how the history of the 175-year-old art museum connects
to the urban identity of Rotterdam, with its history of a port city that was
and still is welcoming the influences of different cultures.
Before the talk, the documentary DEPOT – Reflecting
Boijmans, directed by Sonia Herman Dolz, will be screened. The film focuses on
the founding story of the Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Depot), known as
the world’s first publicly accessible art storage. The documentary reveals the
construction process of the Depot through the narratives of Sjarel Ex—he
initiated and surveyed the development of the new Depot—together with Winy
Maas, one of the founders of MVRDV, the architectural office behind the building.
The film, which includes archival material of the first museum building built
in the 1930s, also highlights the fundamental objective behind the Depot’s
establishment: to better inform the public about the preservation and restoration of art, and
how to work in public/private conditions.
Founded in 1849, the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum
houses an international collection of more than 150,000 classical, modern, and
contemporary artworks and design objects. The museum takes its name from its
two major donors, Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George Van Beuningen.
Located in the Museumpark district, where the city's leading museums are
located, the museum operates in the Van der Steur Building, inaugurated in 1935
and expanded over time with additions in the seventies by architect Bodon and
in the 90s by architects Robbrecht & Daem. The museum, which recently
closed its doors temporarily due to renovations, continues to exhibit its
collection in traveling exhibitions and at the Depot, which opened in 2021.
Sjarel Ex, who studied art history, specializes in
Dutch avant-garde art, particularly the Dutch De Stijl movement, and how De
Stijl was influencing the German Bauhaus in its formative years. He was
director of the Municipal Museum of Utrecht from 1988 to 2004 and director in
Rotterdam from 2004 to 2022. As an independent researcher, he has published
articles internationally and, in addition to curating exhibitions—like “LaLaLa
Human Steps” for the Istanbul Modern in 2014—has carried out site-specific projects
in public spaces in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Utrecht. Since leaving the
Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in 2022, Ex continues his career as an
independent curator, writer, and advisor.
The event is free of charge.
The film will be screened with Turkish and
English subtitles.
The talk will be held in English.
Simultaneous translation to Turkish will be provided.
Attendance is limited due to
capacity.
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/events/museums-talk-from-the-netherlands
“Your
Thursday” Artist Meetings: In Conversation with Nezaket Ekici: Artistic Nomad
Led by Nezaket Ekici, the program focuses on the
artist’s creative process. Known for exploring themes such as identity,
religion, art history, architecture, and tradition, Ekici draws inspiration
from cultural customs and patterns of behavior. The program begins with a brief
talk in which she shares her cross-cultural experiences from traveling around
the world. She then discusses how she transforms the social and cultural
textures of everyday life into performances and installations, how she uses her
body as a narrative tool, and how her performances take shape from concept to
execution.
Date: May
15, 2025
Time: 13.00–14.30
Venue: Istanbul
Modern Auditorium
Duration: 90
mins
The event is free of charge.
The program is held in Turkish.
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/events/in-conversation-with-nezaket-ekici-artistic-nomad
“Ömer
Uluç: Beyond the Horizon” Exhibition Event
At the first public event of “Beyond the Horizon,”
Istanbul Modern hosts Ayşegül Sönmez and Seda Yörüker, contributors to the
catalogue of the exhibition, which sheds light on Ömer Uluç’s artistic journey.
Exploring the artist’s intellectual world, his passion for the sea, the way he
connects with science, and the digital transformations in his later works, the
contributors will also reflect on their personal memories of Ömer Uluç in the
talk. Moderated by Istanbul Modern’s Chief Curator Öykü Özsoy Sağnak and
Assistant Curator Naz Uğurlu Benek, the event aims to offer a new perspective
on Uluç’s multilayered artistic practice.
In Conversation with Ayşegül Sönmez and
Seda Yörüker
Date: Wednesday,
May 21, 2025
Time: 18.30
Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium
Speakers: Ayşegül Sönmez, Seda Yörüker
Moderators: Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, Naz Uğurlu Benek
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/events/omer-uluc-beyond-the-horizon-exhibition-event
“Your
Thursday” Artist Meetings: In Conversation with Memed Erdener: Metaphor and the
Absurd
The talk, led by Memed Erdener—also known as
"Extramücadele" and a member of the influential art group,
Hafriyat—draws inspiration from philosopher Monroe Beardsley’s idea that “a
metaphor is a miniature poem” and his broader aesthetic theories. The program
begins with a brief presentation showcasing examples of the artist’s work and
invites participants to explore the narrative forms of art.
Date: May
29, 2025
Time: 13.00–14.30
Venue: Istanbul
Modern Library
Duration: 90
mins
The event is free of charge.
The program is held in Turkish.
Phone: +90 212 334 7300
Check Also
