Istanbul Now: Where The Contemporary Thrives

Forbes

27-04-2025

Istanbul always defies expectation for me. A city layered in history, myth, and memory, it could easily be overwhelmed by the weight of its own millennia. Yet Istanbul refuses to stand still. Instead, it constantly pushes the narrative forward - through art, food, architecture, and the restless current of conversation flowing between its European and Asian shores. From concept stores in Galata to rooftop cocktails in Pera, here's a look at contemporary Istanbul.
ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - AUGUST 18: A view from Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkiye's first museum of modern and contemporary art and designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop as the new building has been opened on May 4, in Istanbul, Turkiye on August 18, 2023. (Photo by Arife Karakum/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The heart of contemporary Istanbul is Istanbul Modern, the city's landmark for art. The museum originally opened in 2004, but in 2023, the collection took up residence in a gorgeous glass box syle building on the water's edge at Galataport. Designed by Renzo Piano, the three level museum is a celebration of sustainability. The shimmering façade is made of 3D-formed aluminum panels that reflect the changing light of the Bosphorus, creating high-efficiency lighting and heating systems, while the panoramic terrace doubles as a water collecting pool which then cools down the museum in the hot months, and it's a great spot to catch the sunset.
İstanbul,Turkey October 25,2024:Istanbul Modern is known as Turkey's first modern and contemporary art museum. I
'The serenity of its terrace is something I always appreciate after work,' says Ümit Mesci, Curatorial Director of Istanbul Modern,
Istanbul Modern's collection shows off the progression of modern and contemporary Turkish art, from early 20th-century masters to today's artist including pieces by Fahrelnissa Zeid, Sarkis, Ayşe Erkmen, Gülsün Karamustafa, Nil Yalter, and İnci Eviner, as well as international artists like Mark Bradford, Alicja Kwade, and Haegue Yang.
ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - AUGUST 18: An interior view of Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkiye's first museum of modern and contemporary art and designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop as the new building has been opened on May 4, in Istanbul, Turkiye on August 18, 2023. (Photo by Arife Karakum/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"Artists today are not just making paintings or sculptures — we are creating new languages for a world that doesn't exist yet,' says Refik Anadol one of Türkiye's most celebrated contemporary artists. Internationally known for pioneering work at the intersection of art, technology, and memory, Anadol returned to Istanbul for his groundbreaking installation Inner Portrait, at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM). Created in collaboration with Turkish Airlines, Inner Portrait is an immersive 'data sculpture'. Translation? The visual translation of the emotional responses of four first-time travelers to Tokyo, Istanbul, and Petra into an ever-shifting landscapes of data, cascading light and color. AKM is jut the first stop on Inner Portraits global tour.
ISTANBUL, TURKIYE - NOVEMBER 27: Inner Portrait, Refik Anadol Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul, Turkiye on November 27, 2024. (Photo by Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The city's contemporary spirit reaches a crescendo each September with Contemporary Istanbul, the city's flagship art fair. Now celebrating its 20th edition, the fair brings together more than 50 galleries from around the world, showcasing a dynamic mix of local and international talent. Bridging Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Contemporary Istanbul has become a key East-meets-West stop on the global art circuit — perfectly positioned after New York's Armory Show and just before Art Basel Miami Beach. This year's edition takes place September 25-28.
'I try not to get lost in nostalgia,' says Mesci, reflecting on the ever-shifting character of Istanbul. In a city of nearly 20 million, where centuries-old streets collide with constant reinvention, every neighborhood tells a different story and everyone has their own favorite corner.
On the Asian side, Kadıköy and neighboring Moda pulse with creativity, where street murals, vintage shops, and waterfront cafés hum with new ideas. Across the water, Beyoğlu, home to Istanbul Modern and a constellation of galleries and theaters, feels, in Mesci's words, 'the most contemporary face of the city.'
Istanbul Turkey Beyoglu Istiklal shopping street daytime with a crowd of people walking around. Several stores line the street.
Writer and creative consultant Lucy Scovell is drawn to the intimate ateliers and concept stores tucked into Galata's winding streets, the playful cafés of Balat, and the breezy, leafy calm of Bebek, where the Bosphorus shimmers just beyond elegant storefronts.
To slip into the city's creative personality, Scovell suggests a coffee at Minoa Bookstore Café in Pera, where writers and designers spill across tables, or a sunset cocktail at Soho House Istanbul's rooftop, where the Bosphorus glows gold and blue at dusk.
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In Istanbul, food is another art form whether it's bakeries, street vendors, restaurants or esnaf lokantası, shopkeeper's restaurants. And frankly, it's timeless. 'Türkiye has a multidimensional 'ordinary' richness, from Balkan to Caucasian to Arabic cuisines,' says Mesci, who prefers lokantası, to any fine dining.
Scovell cuts to the point and lists Smelt & Co. in Balat for its inventive, playful dishes, Yeni Lokanta in Beyoğlu, for Turkish classics with a fresh, elegant twist, and for skyline views and refined dining, Mikla, does not disappoint. I love them all but also find myself queuing for midye dolma (mussels) at every street vendor. Eager to dive deeper? Culinary Backstreets leads tours through Istanbul's edible history.
Anadolu Hisari (Anatolian Castle) in Istanbul, Turkey
In spite of my love for contemporary Istanbul, its boundary-pushing art, and endless reinvention, I can't help but stay in the past. There is nothing quite like Çırağan Palace Kempinski, with its Romanesque grandeur and gilded Ottoman halls. The palace floats along the Bosphorus, and is a reminder that in Istanbul, you can hop off the tram, slip past the crowds, and step back in time.