Istanbul Modern invites artists from around the world to Istanbul. The International Guest Artist Program, supported by the Istanbul Development Agency (İSTKA) and implemented for the first time this year, is bringing together current artists from various cities with artisans in Istanbul under the roof of a museum in Turkey.
Istanbul Modern's new project will make a difference in the international promotion of Turkey. As part of the International Guest Artist Program, 10 artists, designers and architects will meet artisans in Istanbul and co-produce.
Supported by the Innovative and Creative Istanbul Financial Support Program of the Istanbul Development Agency (İSTKA), the project will welcome people that focus on topics of art and tradition in their respective production processes.
In the program, which aims to enhance the global promotion and visibility of the innovative and creative potential of Istanbul, artists will meet artisans to produce traditional handicrafts, such as metalworking, ceramics, tile making, carpet weaving, wood carving, stained-glass making and water marbling and create current productions.
Works to go on display in 2019
Works created during the program will be exhibited at Istanbul Modern at the end of 2019. Artist workshops will be organized in this period, and a public program and training workshops will be held in parallel to the exhibition.
Promoting Turkey's creativity
Istanbul Modern General Director Levent Çalıkoğlu noted that they have been inspired by the project From Artisanship to Design realized as part of the Financial Support Program for Developing Creative Industries of İSTKA in 2015.
"The International Guest Artist Program is an extremely valuable project for promoting the creativity of Istanbul and our country to the world. We have taken our collaboration with İSTKA one step further, and with this international program, under the guidance of current museology approaches, we are aiming to improve the global recognition of Istanbul regarding traditional crafts," said Çalıkoğlu.