Of this place, Istanbul Modern. Im in turkeys 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 ive 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, Istanbul Modern has hired one of the best. Because pianos renowned internationally for his elegant structures, such as londons shard, and cultural buildings, from the pompidou in paris to the whitney in new york, are his speciality. Which is why im so excited that hes agreed to guide me, via a video call, around his latest creation. Hello. I would love to get a sense. How do you approach designing a building like this . The first thing i
Theyre becoming much more dynamic and inclusive places, less solemn, less elitist, and less west centric, too. Museums, i believe, are really having a moment, and thats what i want to explore. What i am looking for is something weird, something different. I feel youve succeeded, inci. Shes one of the greatest female artists of the 20th century. So what happened 7 because she kind of, like, drops off the map. She was a woman, and she was a muslim. Its an exciting time to be interested in museums and visual art, because a great shake up of art history is underway, which is why ive 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. Im in turkeys 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
inside museums, places i ve loved ever since i was a boy. and during my working life, i ve witnessed something astonishing how radically they ve changed. the days of museums as grand, intimidating treasuries for dusty objects, they re long gone. they re becoming much more dynamic and inclusive places, less solemn, less elitist, and less west centric, too. museums, i believe, are really having a moment, and that s what i want to explore. what i am looking for is something weird, something different. i feel you ve succeeded, inci. she s one of the greatest female artists of the 20th century. so what happened 7 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 fu
outside and in, there are dramatic pieces by international artists at every turn. but what i want to discover is work by turkish artists, and what that can tell us about this country s complex, beautiful identity. one contemporary turkish artist, whose work i m keen to know better, is inci eviner, who s agreed to meet me at the museum. so here we are. ..skinless. yes, a kind of room for nomads. i try to create some kind of memory of this nomad s imagination. they are brothers, siblings. they are waiting for dinner time. patting their belly. ..and our table is ready. who s underneath the table? it is my fear, actually. it s come from my childhood. my father was so serious, very authoritarian. it is forbidden to talk on the table. so there is strange things underneath of table. what are these creatures with the heads and the strange wing like bodies?
London hosted a group exhibition this week titled Phoenix by Turkish artists at The Old Street Gallery with the proceedings from the reception going to.