Istanbul Modern exhibition opens to the sea

Istanbul Modern's new exhibition, "Harbor," focuses on ports and harbors. Emphasizing Istanbul's relationship with the sea, "Harbor" takes a close look at how art in Turkey has presented the cultural and social life that developed on the coasts and around the ports of the city from the late 19th century to the present. 

After 12 years at Antrepo 4, a warehouse situated in the area known as the Port of Istanbul, Istanbul Modern is presenting "Harbor," its last exhibition before beginning the transformation of its building. 

Curated by Çelenk Bafra and Levent Çalıkoğlu, the exhibition presents a selection of paintings, sculptures, models, engravings, drawings, photographs, videos, and installations by 34 artists and collectives from various periods and disciplines.

Exploring how port areas are reflected in the visual arts, not only as geographical locations but also as sites of social and economic interaction, the exhibition delves into the symbolic and metaphorical aspects of the concept of "harbor."

Emphasizing Istanbul's relationship with the sea and its ports, "Harbor" shows the cultural and social life that developed on the coasts and around the ports of the city from the 19th century to the present, through the eyes of artists.

"Harbor" takes its title from an exhibition held in 1941 by a group of academy artists, who coalesced around a social realist approach in Istanbul. The group, which would later come to be known as the Harbor Painters, chose to produce art through participatory observation. 

Their first exhibition focusing on the harbor with its workers, living conditions and social issues, went down in art history as the "Harbor Exhibition." 

The current exhibition, held in Istanbul Modern's...