because she kind of, like, drops off the map. she was a woman, and she was a muslim. it s an exciting time to be interested in museums and visual art, because a great shake up of art history is underway, which is why i ve come to istanbul, that mesmerising megalopolis that straddles two continents, europe and asia. and the interplay between western and turkish art is a fundamental part of the extraordinary collection of this place, istanbul modern. i m in turkey s biggest city, istanbul. in many ways, the story of istanbul is the story of the bosphorus strait, the waterway that divides the city and has made it a key meeting place for centuries. the brand new home of istanbul modern acknowledges this with an impressive open plan ground floor that connects the city with the water. and i ve been given special access to the museum as the team make final preparations ahead of its opening. any new museum needs a gifted architect to create it. and in the italian renzo piano, istanbu