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 

Floating Islands

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, Albert Bitran, Cihat Burak, Anthony Cragg, Adnan Çoker, Richard Deacon, Nejad Melih Devrim, Şükriye Dikmen, 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, Bettina Pousttchi, 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 

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 

JUNE EVENTS 

Cinema 

SHADOWTIME: Virtual Reality at Istanbul Modern Cinema 

June 10–24, 2026

Istanbul Modern Cinema invites visitors to experience a VR (virtual reality) project in the museum’s cinema foyer. 

Co-written and co-directed by Deniz Tortum and Sister Sylvester, the VR project Shadowtime makes its Türkiye premiere at Istanbul Modern following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2023. A talk exploring virtual reality technology and immersive storytelling from different perspectives will also take place on Thursday, June 11. 

The program also includes screenings of Deniz Tortum and Sister Slyvester’s short essay film Our Ark (2021) in the auditorium. 

Click here for details. 

Events 

“Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors” Exhibition Event 

Semiha and Nâzım: A Reading of Letters with Yetkin Dikinciler 

Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 19.00 

Istanbul Modern Temporary Exhibition Gallery 

Organized in parallel with the exhibition “Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors,” the event brings to life a selection of letters tracing the years-long friendship between Semiha Berksoy and Nâzım Hikmet through the interpretation of Yetkin Dikinciler. 

The letters between Semiha Berksoy and Nâzım Hikmet trace a relationship that began at Dârülbedâyi (Istanbul Municipality Theater) in 1932 and gradually evolved into a profound friendship, revealing both the bond between the two artists and the cultural and emotional atmosphere of an era. 

Through Yetkin Dikinciler’s reading, the selection of letters invites visitors into an intimate narrative spanning 87 years, where art, friendship, and memory intertwine across time. The event is held in Turkish. The event is ticketed and capacity is limited. 

Click here for details.

Museums Talk: From the Netherlands 

Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 19.00 

Back to the Future Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium 

Roos Gortzak Artistic Director 

Groninger Museum 

Founded in 1874, Groninger Museum meets its audience with continuously evolving collections and distinctive architectural identity. Its current complex, inaugurated in 1994, brings together designs by Philippe Starck, Michele de Lucchi, and Coop Himmelb(l)au, assembled under the direction of Alessandro Mendini – in close collaboration with former director Frans Haks. For the museum, Mendini adopted a Postmodern approach that combines diverse stylistic languages, foregrounding ornamentation and reinterpretation. The museum has an exciting eclectic collection, ranging from archeological objects, Asian ceramics, fashion and design to art from all centuries. 

Since February 2025, Roos Gortzak has served as Artistic Director of the Groninger Museum. In the talk titled “Back to the Future,” she shares the vision she has developed for the institution. Her observations on the museum’s condition at the time of her appointment, together with the steps she has taken toward its transformation, form the core of the presentation. Gortzak also presents examples from her previous curatorial projects, offering insight into the framework of her working methodology. The talk extends beyond the Groninger Museum, opening a broader discussion on how museums can remain relevant within the context of their time. 

As a critic, Roos Gortzak has contributed regularly to the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant and to art magazines such as Metropolis M and ArtReview, as well as writing for exhibition catalogues. As a curator, she has worked with various institutions and events. Between 2014 and 2025, she served as Director of Vleeshal Center for Contemporary Art in Middelburg. Her previous roles include projects with the Puerto Rico Biennial (2004), Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (2005), Kunsthalle Basel (2007–2012), Badischer Kunstverein (2014), and the 7th Young Talent Festival, titled “What Happens in Offenbach Stays in Offenbach” (2014).

Click here for details. 

“Your Thursday” Artist Meetings: Conversation with Cengiz Tekin and Erkan Özgen: On Art, the City, and Everyday Life 

Date: June 25, 2026 

Time: 13.00–14.30 

Venue: Istanbul Modern Event Room 2 

“Your Thursday” Artist Meetings Istanbul Modern opens its doors free of charge on museum days called “Your Thursday” with the sponsorship of Paribu. Every Thursday, between 10.00 and 14.00, the museum welcomes all its visitors residing in Türkiye with free admission. Visitors can explore all the exhibitions at Istanbul Modern and participate in artist workshops, events, and film screenings held once a month. 

“Your Thursday” Artist Meetings include workshop sessions and discussions where artists share their creative processes and artistic experiences with participants. Through these activities, Istanbul Modern invites visitors to discover the museum, artworks, and artistic production processes, while allowing them to enrich their experience by creating together with artists. 

Conversation with Cengiz Tekin and Erkan Özgen: On Art, the City, and Everyday Life 

For many years, Cengiz Tekin and Erkan Özgen have developed their artistic practices in dialogue with the social, cultural, and political realities of the geography in which they live. Although they have pursued distinct artistic approaches, the city, memory, everyday life, and encounters occupy a significant place in the work of both artists. Together, they founded “Loading,” a meeting point where art exists not only as something to be exhibited, but also as a space for discussion, production, and collective reflection. 

In this conversation, the artists explore the opportunities and challenges of running an independent art space in Diyarbakır; the relationship between art and everyday life; the experience of the city; the meaning of collaboration and solidarity; and the ongoing transformation of the cultural sphere. 

Audiences are invited to join a conversation that reflects on what art can change, how a space can become a site of encounter, how a city shapes its inhabitants, and how these experiences are translated into artistic production – a discussion driven less by definitive answers than by questions, and more by processes than conclusions. 

Duration: 90 mins The event is free of charge. 

The program is held in Turkish. 

Click here for details. 

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. 

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.