İstanbul Modern

Tout au bord du Bosphore, dans le quartier de Tophane se trouve le musée d’art moderne de la ville. On y trouve un étage consacré aux artistes turcs (collection permanente) et un autre avec des expos temporaires consacrant des artiste turcs et internationaux.
Le lieu est très clean avec des espaces à taille humaine, qui donnent envie de regarder. On peut admirer le Bosphore depuis certaines baies vitrées ce qui est très agréable.
Mention très bien pour l’originale bibliothèque au plafond rempli de livres qui pendent!
Petit bémol: l’entrée n’est pas simple à trouver car malgré le panneau annonçant le musée, il faut s’engager sur une voie en travaux qui mèné à un parking (je pensais qu’on n’était pas au bon endroit) et enfin on distingue le musée.
Bémol bis: les paquebots de croisière qui cachent et gâchent une bonne partie d’une vue qui pourrait être parfaite.

Wow! I really loved this place. I was surprised– I wasn’t expecting that much out of it as I’d heard some mixed reviews, but the art was really magnificent. Some of the videos were a bit bizarre– but every good contemporary art museum has to edge along the bizarre, don’t you think? The paintings and mixed media were a breath of fresh air.
The price of entry was also very fair (as has been previously stated), and I lingered longer than I needed to since I went on an unbearably hot day and it was so wonderful to be in the airconditioning– so few places in Istanbul have that!
The museum’s restaurant is also very nice and the view (when not blocked by a cruise ship) is pretty great. Walking distance to some delightfully cheap street food/​waterfront restaurants as well.

Make sure you visit the Modern museum if you have two or three hours. Located near the cruise ship docks and in an area that reminds me of Soho. New shops and cafes opening but still has a rugged look to it. The exhibits were a mix of Turkish artists and international exhbits. Was a highlight of the trip to Istanbul

Let’s get this out of the way. Is the staff friendly? Not at all. In fact, I’ve seen more charm in a pitbull than some of the staff here. But does it make the art any less spectacular? Nope. Not a bit.
Istabul Modern is a new concept and a welcome breath of fresh air to the tourism of Istanbul. Listen people: no one in Istanbul goes to the Grand Bazaar for their groceries anymore. All of it is staged for tourism, and sure – its a lot of fun. But Istanbul Modern showcases a new side of Istanbul that is emerging and that is equally as important.
The museum is excellently curated. Give yourself at least 2 – 3 hours! Any less would be a disservice. I would also recommend eating at the restaurant, if only for the views, which are unbeatable.

About a month ago, I visited the Museum of Modern Art in Istanbul. I enjoyed this art museum which emphasizes 20^th Century Turkish Art. I appreciated fine Turkish paintings by Hoca Al Riza («Landscape»), Migurdic Givanian («Istanbul»), Omer Uluc («1 Man, 4 Women»), Nuri Iyem («Peasant Women»)and Hamit Goreles («Forest Nymph»).I also saw fine Contemporary Turkish creations by Sabire Susuz («Shopping»), Canan (video, very explicit-«Exemplary»), and Sukran Moral (video-«Bordello»).I also saw fine works by non-​Turkish artists such as;Julian Opie, Tony Cragg, and Monica Bonvicini («Stairway to Hell”-my favorite work in this state of the art, art museum. At this art museum, there is plenty of information in English, as well as Turkish. I found the staff of this art museum to be kind and helpful.

If you are not art-​savvy and come here to be surprised and visit a beautiful building, it’s probably better to avoid Modern Istanbul. The collection isn’t mind blowing and the museum is rather small. Nobody goes to a museum for the staff but I’d like to point out the fact that the museum’s staff is incredibly rude.

I only wish I had given myself more time to spend in this fantastic gallery! I didn’t make it there until the end of my week in Istanbul, on a day when I had other things planned, so I only had two hours to go through the exhibits. I was able to look at everything, but plan on at least three hours or more. There are tons of video installations that I didn’t get to watch because I just didn’t have the time.
The main floor is where the permanent collection is displayed, along with some installations. The floor plan is open and bright. Lots of room to stand back and admire and think about the art. There are some benches scattered around but not as many as I’ve been used to seeing in other art galleries. All of the works have very detailed descriptions in Turkish and English, which can definitely contribute to the time of your visit if you’re like me and like to read every single one. The temporary exhibitions are held downstairs.
The gift shop is small but had a lot of great things that I wanted to buy, so it’s probably a good thing that I was short on time! Prices in the restaurant are shockingly affordable and the views over the Bosphorus are, of course, stunning.
I arrived right when they opened at 10am, went through the exhibits and the gift shop and had lunch. By the time I left at 1pm there was a lineup out the door, so you may want to factor that in to your visiting time. Closed on Mondays.

Fantastic view of old town, Topkapi palace, busy bosphorus, and other side of city. Museum has restaurant as well, dont miss it out, maybe only to sip your drink. Service is very good. One of my fav.

This is one of the best museums I’ve been to. You can spend a whole day here! Very good mix of installations and paintings. Me, myself, are not a big museum fan, but this is something worth a visit. When you get tired, take a coffee at the seemingly nice café facing the Bosphorus.
The only thing that felt a bit awkward were the guards that never stood still in one spot and really watched the visitors. I’m not a villain, or maybe I am? were my feelings of this.

A few things to say about Istanbul modern:
1. If you are close by and you didn’t have breakfast yet. Then go and visit the restaurant (opens at 10am). The restaurant has an amazing view and food.
2. Museum entrance for students is 9TL which is nothing
3. Bring a lot of time as there are many video installations that were all very interesting and long. You get to know the other kind of Turkish culture in pictures and videos. I can only recommend.

While this place looks great on the outside i would expect more from such a well known museum. It’s got great potential, but with a dismal floor plan (too predictable), a dry collection (nothing ambitious here, just trying to please a crowd), and an extremely rude and militant staff; this place might be more trouble than it’s worth. It is as if the creators of the Istanbul Modern looked at other «Modern Art Museums» around the world and tried to make one that fit in as the most typical and bland of the bunch. I hope they step up their game before my next visit.
Closing note: the Young Architects Program may be the best thing about the museum, I sincerely hope the administration continues to develop this in the coming years.

One of the best modern-​art museums in the world!
Easy to get to on foot from Taksim Square or by cab, the Istanbul Modern is a fabulous showcase of modern art. Located in what seems to be a warehouse/​docking area, the museum building is very new, modern with clean lines and plenty of open space. Don’t expect a ton of paintings, instead you’ll find a variety of sculptures, video and immersive experiences on the sprawling two floors of the museum. You’ll be amazed at the talent, creativity and boldness of Turkish artists.
Entry is only 15TL which is very reasonable for the size of the collection. You could easily spend 3 – 4 hours here. The restaurant/​bar overlooks the Bosphorus River (when there is not a cruise ship parked in front of it!) and is a perfect place to grab a quick lunch or snack. Make sure to check out the museum gift shop — great gifts not found in the rest of the city.

Istanbul Modern presents a compelling collection of early and more current Turkish modern art. The interior architecture is characterized by clean lines and an open space with excellent lighting and flow.
We really enjoyed our visit, however the security apparatus was like nothing I have ever seen. A moment after I removed my iPhone from my pocket to take notes on an artist, a guard sternly warned me that no photos are allowed. After that, it seemed as though we were followed through each room of the museum.
Much of the art is of a political nature, and the presence of Securitas indeed began to feel as though it were an installation rather than an operational function of the museum.
When you visit the museum, I highly recommend the restaurant, which is covered in a second review.

Beautiful gallery, the collection is quite big with lot of video installation, if you want to see it all without hurry plan at least on day! the building and the view to the bosphorus from inside the gallery is also amazing.

Some people take the steep walk down from Taksim to have a coffee or a drink at the café of the Istanbul Modern without taking a look at the art… Shame :-) The small entrance fee is really not a reason not to go, and the collection is really worth more than just one trip.
When I took my first tour through the various decades of Turkish art, I was amazed. And a little bit ashamed of course. Yes, there may not be many Turkish artists that have made it to world fame — but obviusly that doesn’t mean that there is/​was no great talent in Turkey. It’s really a wonderful eye-​opener to take a look at all the fine work. I personally liked the decades of the first half of the 20^th century more than the younger work — but of course that’s a very personal opinion.
A truly fine museum. With a pretty good café/​restaurant. But art comes first.

Located along the Bosphorus River, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is in a prime location and is easy to get to on foot from Taksim Square or Sultanahmet (if you are prepared for a longer walk). Entry was 15 TL which was very reasonable considering the the pieces on display at the time (student entry is 8 TL). The building itself is fairly modern (duh) having been built only a few years back and reminds me of the Institute of Contemporary Art building in Boston, except less vertical.
Although there are only two floors, one could easily spend half an afternoon here. If you get hungry you can stop at the café on the top floor for a snack and to talk about how much of an art snob you are. Just do not come hungry as the prices were not very palatable.
My only complaint is that there are very few pieces that are not paintings. Perhaps they rotate their collection often and this is not always the case, but I am not sure. While it is nowhere near my favorite contemporary art museum in the world, it is worth checking out. Give yourself 90 minutes if you are in a rush or a few hours if you want to spend more time absorbing.