İstanbul Modern 20 Yaşında: Değişim ve Yenilikler

Éstablished on December 11, 2024, Istanbul Modern celebrated its 20th anniversary. Since its opening, the museum has organized nine collection exhibitions, 84 temporary exhibitions, 45 photography exhibitions, and 17 international exhibitions. More than 1 million children and young people have experienced art through over 1000 free educational programs. The museum has hosted 3,500 events from different disciplines, and its cinema has screened nearly 4,000 films.

Innovative and Versatile Museum Experience

Chairperson of the Istanbul Modern Board, Oya Eczacıbaşı, stated: “Twenty years ago, realizing our dream of bringing a world-renowned art museum with long lines and the signature of an internationally famous architect to our country is a great source of happiness for us. With the unique contributions of our artists, our museum has been hosting Turkey’s multicultural heritage and universal values for 20 years. By offering an innovative and versatile museum experience, we aim to reach a wider audience with art each year. We believe that our young museum, at 20 years old, will continue to contribute to the future with its dynamism and innovation.”

20th Anniversary Exhibitions and Visitor Record

The 20th-anniversary exhibitions at Istanbul Modern broke visitor records. The year 2024 started with ‘Timeless Curiosities,’ an exhibition that provides space for young artists. The exhibition ‘Your Unexpected Encounter’ by the renowned artist Olafur Eliasson was opened exclusively for the 20th anniversary.

The Photography Gallery hosted the exhibition ‘The Witness of the Photographer’ by the veteran photographer Ozan Sağdıç at the beginning of the year, followed by İzzet Keribar’s exhibition ‘Journey of Colors’ as the last exhibition of the year.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Turkey-Japan relations, a special installation titled ‘Between Worlds’ by the Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota was exhibited.

Istanbul Modern closed 2024 with 1 million visitors, thereby breaking the record of 20 years.

Dedicated Education Spaces

Istanbul Modern, which has brought nearly 1 million children and young people together with free art education, has also implemented special education spaces in the new museum building. Designed inspired by the works of artists in the museum collection, the Discovery Area, Eco Art Lab with workshops on nature and recycling themes, and Studio STEAM bringing young people and adults together with art through an education approach focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics were designed as interdisciplinary learning spaces.

428 Programs, Nearly 4,000 Film Screenings

Istanbul Modern Cinema, the first cinema established under a museum roof, has conducted nearly 4,000 film screenings through 428 programs over 20 years. In addition to film programs parallel to the museum’s exhibitions, Istanbul Modern Cinema also hosted cinema exhibitions such as ‘Century of Love’ and ‘Masterless Master: Lütfü Akad.’

Since 2004, Istanbul Modern has won 46 national and international awards. The new museum building and programs have also received numerous prestigious awards in the past year. Architectural Digest included Istanbul Modern in the list of ‘2024’s Marvelous Works.’ National Geographic highlighted the museum among the ‘Top 20 Cultural Spaces.’ Istanbul Modern won the title of ‘Building of the Year’ in the architectural category of ArchDaily. It also received the ‘Best of the Best’ title at the Architecture MasterPrize and the first prize in the ‘Completed Buildings – Culture’ category at the World Architecture Festival (WAF).

Recently, Istanbul Modern also received the Outstanding Museum Practice Award from the International Committee for Modern Art Museums and Collections (CIMAM) for the education program titled ‘In Pursuit of a Dream,’ supporting gender equality.

For the 20th anniversary, a special book titled ‘A Museum Story: Istanbul Modern,’ documenting the museum’s founding story and journey, has been prepared. Authored by Mehmet Altun, the book discusses the museum’s establishment process and its contributions to modern art in Turkey and the cultural and art world.