Ömer Uluç, Chiharu Shiota, and Ali Kazma

Istanbul Modern presents three solo exhibitions of artists from different generations and geographies while its collection exhibition Floating Islands showcases more than 200 works by 77 artists in the Permanent Exhibition Gallery and throughout the museum building designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Floating Islands traces the transformation of the art scene in Türkiye and beyond since the mid-20th century.

Ömer Uluç: Beyond the Horizon
Ömer Uluç (1931–2010) was a pioneer of contemporary art in Türkiye, known for his abstract and experimental works. Organized on the 15th anniversary of his passing, Beyond the Horizon presents over 300 artworks by the artist, whose unique visual language pushed the conventional boundaries of his time. Thematically arranged, this comprehensive selection of works created from the 1960s to 2010, some of which are part of the museum’s collection, reveals different forms of expression key to the artist’s practice. Uluç lived and worked in different parts of the world, including Istanbul, Paris, London, Mexico, Nigeria, and the US, to construct a world marked by a sharp sense of irony and humor.

Curators: Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, Nilay Dursun, Naz Uğurlu Benek

Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds
As part of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, Chiharu Shiota's (b. 1972) large-scale installation commissioned for Istanbul Modern’s Pop-Up Gallery integrates the artist's own migration story with Istanbul's cosmopolitan identity. Drawing inspiration from Karaköy, one of the city's busiest districts and home to its historic harbor, where the museum is also located, Shiota references Istanbul’s position between Asia and Europe. Through this site-specific work, she offers a contemplative space where viewers can reflect on their own lives, memories, and relationships within a broader, universal definition of humanity. Shiota’s universe of threads, beyond presenting a visually captivating space, serves as an invitation to explore the labyrinth of one’s inner world.

Curators: Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, Yazın Öztürk

Ali Kazma: Landscapes of the Mind
Starting June 13, the Istanbul Modern Photography Gallery is showcasing video works and photographs by lens-based artist Ali Kazma (b. 1971), known for his production on physical labor, control mechanisms, and craft culture. A global premiere, Landscapes of the Mind features Kazma’s latest work, Sumi, documenting the world’s oldest known ink production, a 600-year-old tradition in Japan; as well as A House of Ink and Sentimental, which chronicle the home and archive of Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk. Focusing on literature and books, the exhibition also includes Alberto in Lisbon, which explores the relocation of Argentine-born writer and book historian Alberto Manguel’s library from France to Portugal.

Curators: Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, Demet Yıldız Dinçer, Yazın Öztürk