By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL-The new Istanbul Modern reopened on May 4 as the design vision of renown Italian architect Renzo Piano. This is Piano’s first project in Turkiye who took his inspiration from the glistening sunlight on the Bosphorous. The site which was used as a harbor in centuries past, shows off a long, rectangular structure, more reminiscent of a large home and an imposing piece of architectural art whose façade was created from 3-D shaped aluminum panels that reflect sunlight changes throughout the day. Located at the museum’s original location on the Karakoy waterfront, it boasts 10,500 square meters of space that houses a dynamic range of temporary exhibitions, interdisciplinary education programs, film screenings and an extensive publicly accessible art collection.
The museum features Richard Wentworth’s False Ceiling dating from 2005 which is part of the permanent installations and a spacious, central staircase connecting public areas that features a three-part, site-specific installation by Olafur Eliasson, commissioned especially for the new Istanbul Modern entitled Your Unexpected Journey (2021). A fascinating piece, seemingly suspended in time, reflecting the light and a sense of space. Within the museum collection, international artists are the focus with artwork from 1945 to the present that reflect Turkiye’s artistic creativity from artists who have played a pivotal role in the transformation of global art.
What makes Renzo Piano’s design so unique is the one-of-a-kind terrace at the top of the museum, above a shallow reflecting pool that covers the entire room. It allows for a 360-degree view of the Bosphorus and Istanbul coupled with the transparent and accessible design, it also showcases the philosophy of the museum – providing a plethora of diverse art experiences with audience-centered exhibitions and programs, inspired by the artistic diversity of the 21st century. There is an exhibition for everyone’s artistic tastes with the first floor featuring a photography gallery, pop-up gallery, event spaces, education rooms, the Istanbul Modern Restaurant that offers magnificent views of the Bosphorus and its historical peninsula on the outdoor terrace. The second floor contains the permanent collection gallery with an amazing collection of modern and contemporary art from international and Turkish artists. There is also a 156-seat auditorium for screenings and special events, as well.
Renzo Piano Istanbul Modern (RPIM) has reopened with five new exhibitions: Floating Islands: Spread across the expanded permanent and temporary exhibition galleries as well other spaces throughout the building. It includes RPIM’s most comprehensive collection exhibition yet, with more than 280 works by 110 artists and two artist duos. A majority of the work will be displayed for the first time with the first section in the permanent gallery focusing on Turkish art from 1945 to 2000s while the second section marries thematic narratives from Turkiye and abroad: The second exhibition entitled
Always Here is in line with the museum’s commitment to support and advocate for contemporary women artists from Türkiye. It combines 17 works by 11 women artists that were added to the collection through the support of the Women Artists Fund established in 2016. The next exhibition, In Another Place is the museum’s Photography Gallery, the first of its kind in Turkiye, presenting 22 portraits being shown for the first time, taken by Palme d’Or winning filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan in countries east of Turkiye.
When entering the museum, Genius-Loci showcases a survery of Renzo Piano’s fascinating architectural language and displays the design process in detail as well as structural components of Istanbul Modern’s new building by Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Highlights from the collection include artwork by Turkiye’s iconic modern and contemporary artists that include Fahreinissa Zeid, Sarkis, Ayse Erkmen, Guslsun Karamustafa, Nil Yaiter, Inci Eviner. Internationally acclaimed artists on exhibit include Anselm Kiefer, Daniel Buren, Mark Bradford, Alicia Kwade, Haegue Yang, Laure Prouvost as well as others.
The newly commissioned installation by Refik Anadoi entitled Infinity Room:Bosphorus represents real-time environmental data from the Bosphorus. Constructing Architecture brings together new works by architectural photographer Cemal Emden, that unravel the museum building’s construction phases and reflect on the layered and long-running dialogue between architecture and photography.Piano’s first project in Turkiye was constructed in collaboration with the Museum’s founding sponsor the Eczacibasi Group and Dogus Group-Bilgili Holding, its main sponsor. Located by Galataport in Karakoy where the Bosphorus meets the Golden Horn, the museum exterior displays a range of diverse and eye-catching sculptural designs.
