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Karaköy
Istanbul
Turkey
Tel: 90 212 334 7300
Concierge.com's insider take:
Housed in a superb old dockside warehouse—very much in keeping with the industrial aesthetic of the Tate Modern in London—the Istanbul Modern opened to much excitement in December 2004, only to receive somewhat deflated reviews for its contents. The rather pedestrian permanent collection of modern Turkish painting, in particular, bore little relation to the city's contemporary art scene. However, the arrival of new director David Elliott from the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo at the beginning of 2007 means that the museum's program is shaping up: One of the first shows under his management was an extensive retrospective of images of Turkey shot by Magnum photographers, including Martin Parr and Robert Capa. In addition, the curatorial efforts of Rosa Martinez have brought a rich variety of international fare, including a selection of exhibits from the Venice Biennale in 2006. There is also an ongoing display of video art—past subjects have included Sam Taylor Wood, Fischli and Weiss, and Hussein Chalayan—and the cool museum café is almost worth a visit by itself.
Closed Mondays.
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