It’s starting to become a pattern with us. After visiting all sorts of ancient and historic sites, we felt like seeing something new. So on our last day in Istanbul, we explored the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, aka the Istanbul Modern.
It was cloudy, and rain threatened, but we stayed dry and enjoyed the walk across Beyoğlu. Across the street from the Istanbul Modern was the Nusretiye Mosque (1826). This mosque had a Baroque-style exterior, two slender minarets, and a clock tower - the oldest one in Istanbul.
Behind the Istanbul Modern was a cruise ship; its decks and smokestacks seemed like a part of the museum building.
The first gallery showcased art created in the 21st century. There were monumental works in a variety of media. I was especially drawn to a complex tapestry depicting the artist’s studio. When I looked closely, the detail was astounding! There were many stories woven into that tapestry. A nearby diptych was covered with fascinating ink drawings that evoked both calligraphy and manga. The art in this gallery was exciting and fresh!
An installation titled Infinity Room: Bosphorus invited the viewer to step inside. Environmental data (wind temperature, humidity) was collected using sensors placed around the museum’s exterior. The data was transformed into dynamic images using artificial intelligence and projected on the room’s mirrored surfaces. I’ve seen a lot of digital art, and I thought this did a good job of evoking the constant movement and immersive nature of water and air.
I liked it when contemporary artists used traditional Turkish arts (gold embroidery, Iznik tiles) to explore modern themes (gender, identity, societal roles).
Subsequent galleries featured 20th century Turkish artists who studied and collaborated with noted European artists in Paris. Their work combined modern concepts (Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism) with historic Turkish elements (Sultans, mosques, the Bosphorus).
I enjoyed seeing photos of Istanbul by the Turkish photojournalist who accidentally discovered Aphrodisias, and the painted portraits of working-class Turkish people.
Our eyes were full, so we climbed the stairs to the Viewing Terrace. A reflection pool covered nearly the entire roof! The rooftop views of Beyoğlu were awesome. It’s too bad the cruise ship blocked our view of the Bosphorus.
It’s worth noting that the Istanbul Modern opened in 2023 and was designed by Renzo Piano, the award-winning Italian architect who also designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Whitney Museum in New York City. I’d love to return one day when there is no cruise ship obscuring that impressive building.
We left the museum and walked along the Bosphorus. We were in Galataport, a waterfront development with a cruise terminal, a fancy hotel, and hundreds of stores and restaurants. It was sunny now, and after passing the cruise ship we had sweeping views of Istanbul’s Asian side and the Old City. From here we could continue along the Bosphorus to the Karaköy ferry port and the Galata Bridge.
After spending three weeks steeped Istanbul’s long and fascinating history, it was energizing to spend a day in the modern face of the city.
