Istanbul is a spectacular place, with its people, culture, options, and, of course, must-see touristic places. Even though many people are residents of Istanbul, they define themselves as tourists to places like Ortaköy, Beşiktaş, Taksim, and so on. This is mainly because Istanbul is enormous, and traveling between provinces is hard. In summer, locals of Istanbul and nearby cities choose to be tourists around known tourist sights. Istanbul, in terms of art galleries, is at the heart of Türkiye. The city is the homeland of many artists and collectors. Therefore, there are a lot of must-see galleries for tourist residents that have programs and exhibits in the summer of 2022!
Arter:
Arter is one of such friendly galleries. It offers its own, free-of-charge transportation, which is set to depart every 30 minutes from Taksim or Tepebaşı. The Taksim metro station is another great option. Arter is open every day except on Monday and national holidays. Entry is free for people below 24 years-old and members, 15 Turkish Liras for people above 65 years-old and teachers, and 30 Liras for civilians. However, on Thursdays, nobody pays! Another option is to have guided tours that are held between 13:00-15:00 on Tuesday and Sunday, for which there is extra charging.
In summer 2022, there are 5 exhibits open, most of them being about modern art. An interesting exhibit, The New Voice of Io, touches upon Acoustical Visions, the work of curator Melih Fereli.
Arter
Pera Museum:
Pera Museum makes its mark among the best galleries in Istanbul. Using its fame, they are bringing famous pieces from collections. Osman Hamdi Bey and Intersecting Worlds are two examples of famous exhibits Pera Museum display as non-expiry collection exhibits. Just like Arter, except Mondays it is open, Wednesdays are for teenagers, meaning students are welcome. Prices are between 50 and 25 Turkish Liras, and there is a group option.
Until the 7th of August, a collection exhibit from Anette and Peter Nobel And Now The Good News is taking place at the uppermost floor of Pera Museum. It is mainly about the state of contemporary art but touches upon the last 150 years of science, culture, and politics. Along with that collection exhibits, Osman Hamdi Bey, Intersecting Worlds, Coffee Break, and The Art of Weights and Measures are displayed this summer.
Pera Museum
Pilevneli Gallery:
Pilevneli is a gallery based in the historical district of Dolapdere, with a smaller, additional place in Yalıkavak, Muğla. The gallery has its own curator and management team for the well-selected exhibits. This summer, only one of them is open. It is sadly in Muğla, but the gallery, home for contemporary art, in Istanbul itself is a must-see.
The exhibit in Muğla is a grand opening of the new venue, which is hosted in Yalıkavak. There will be works of Esra Gülmen, Refik Anadol, Ali Elmacı, and Tarık Töre.
Zilberman Gallery:
Zilberman is one of the lesser-known galleries in Beyoğlu. It can be considered indie! The 11th edition of Young Fresh Different is being held between July 6 - August 13. The call for this exhibit is for young artists to represent their art with no limitations at all. Main purpose is to support young artists financially and also feature them. This summer, it features eleven separate works of under the age of 35, picked by a group of curators. Young Fresh Different is the last exhibition of season in Zilberman every year.
Gallery Nev:
Gallery Nev, another individually brought-to-life gallery, merged with Galerist to perform I’m a Mirror: Silver and Clear, with the name being a nod to the well-known writer and poet Slyvia Plath. Phoebe Cummings, one of the creators of the pieces, shared that the exhibit was inspired by the Baroque aesthetic and how plants communicate to create plant sculptures. Canvas, paints, glitter, and clay are visible materials.
The exhibit has already ended in June. It is expected that more will come by the end of the summer, and it will be a common place for art lovers.
I'm a Mirror Silver and Clear PG Art Gallery:
PG Art Gallery opened in 1993, with the mission to support soon-to-become pioneers of the Turkish contemporary artists. It is in Maslak, a hand-picked place for galleries. Yet, the PG Art team loves surprising people with its pop-up shows, so it is the best to regularly check for their newest options. Until the end of August, there is a Summer Show in the main gallery. The show includes various artists, and it has a common theme of summer.
Istanbul Modern:
The best known in this 7 gallery-based list. It has a museum along with galleries in this enormous building in Karaköy, that they will soon move into. The building was made by the award-winning architect Renzo Piano. Istanbul Modern offers modern art-based themes. Since the exhibits have not been moved yet, the place will not be open until the notice. It is still important to keep an eye on their website for the official opening of the new building — no doubt it will be fancy.
It is important to educate the community, and galleries in Istanbul are working very hard to include artists based in various aspects of art around the world. Even though some of them have fees, entering the galleries and meeting with like-minded people are just like any good summer activities. Maybe even the best ones for tourist residents.
Istanbul Modern
Works Cited:
Arter, “Güncel Sergiler”, July 26 2022, https://www.arter.org.tr/
Pera Museum, “Süreli Sergiler”, July 26 2022, https://www.peramuzesi.org.tr/sergi
Pilevneli, “Exhibitions”, July 26 2022, https://www.pilevneli.com/exhibitions/current/
Zilberman Gallery, “Young Fresh Different”, July 26 2022, https://www.zilbermangallery.com/gyf-eng-e317.html
Galeri Nev, “Ben Aynayım: Gümüş ve Berrak”, July 26 2022, https://galerinev.art/tr/ben-aynayim-gumus-ve-berrak
PG Art Gallery, “Güncel Sergiler”, July 26 2022, https://pgartgallery.com/exhibition-category/guncel-sergiler-tr/
Istanbul Modern, “Istanbul Modern’in Yeni Binası”, July 26 2022, https://www.istanbulmodern.org/tr/muze/istanbul-modernin-yeni-binasi_2983.html