Turkey’s first museum of modern and contemporary art Istanbul Modern is offering free admission to everyone on Thursdays at its temporary space in Beyoğlu district and free admission to young people on Tuesdays with Borsa Istanbul's sponsorship.
As part of the museum's Your Thursday and Young Tuesday projects, Istanbul Modern will be free to all visitors every Thursday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Tuesdays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. for young people between the ages of 18 and 25.
Visitors can see all exhibitions at Istanbul Modern free of charge and attend events, artist workshops and film screenings taking place once a month. Your Thursday Artist Workshops consists of workshops, short interviews and events where artists share their creative processes and artistic experiences with participants. Through these events, Istanbul Modern invites visitors to explore the museum, the artwork and the processes of artistic production, while also opening the doors to the rich experience of getting to know artists and creating works of art with them. The Young Tuesday Events are special programs to encourage youngsters to connect with art and artists.
The projects were launched with a ceremony at Borsa Istanbul on Sept. 22. Speaking at the ceremony, Borsa Istanbul General Manager Mehmet Hakan Atilla said: “Art is a profound subject, so it would not be right for me to comment on it; I can only express how it makes me feel. Art is one of the most important building blocks of social life, and it always awakens positive feelings in me. Aside from aesthetics, there is an aspect of art that makes people feel good. We are happy to be able to provide our fellow citizens access to positive subjects, especially during these pandemic days.”
Istanbul Modern Director Levent Çalıkoğlu also noted that the museum had brought art and audiences of all ages together since its establishment in 2004 and added: “Istanbul Modern has organized exhibitions that millions of visitors have visited, provided art education to hundreds of thousands of children and young people, and programmed countless events and film screenings; through these activities, we are contributing to the development of future art lovers. We are very happy that Borsa Istanbul has supported us in our mission to spread the healing power of art by taking on the sponsorship of free admission days at our museum's temporary space in Beyoğlu."
