Ismaele Nones
Istanbul Modern launches a new project in collaboration with The Blank Contemporary Art and MAC – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Lissone, with support from the Italian Ministry of Culture
As part of the 15th edition of the Italian Council, a program supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture, Istanbul Modern is launching a new international project in collaboration with The Blank Contemporary Art and MAC – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Lissone. A new work by artist Ismaele Nones will debut at Istanbul Modern in autumn 2027 as part of the project titled “Cartography of a Restless Sea. Textile Allegories and Global Currents.”
For the project, Ismaele Nones, one of the emerging figures in contemporary Italian art, has been invited to create a large-scale installation that deepens his engagement with the visual cultures of the Mediterranean and the Near East. Centered on current issues such as ecological crises and the notion of belonging, the artist’s work will reach audiences at Istanbul Modern through an exhibition and public program in autumn 2027.
Curated by Istanbul Modern Artistic Director Çelenk Bafra and Stefano Raimondi, Director of MAC – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Lissone, the project’s public program will center on themes such as carpet motifs in Türkiye and Italy, the symbolic meanings of water, the relationship between visual traditions and contemporary artistic production, and the interplay between cultural identities and ecological systems. Extending beyond the exhibition, the program aims to create a platform for cultural exchange, research, and international dialogue.
From recycled fishing nets to Mediterranean stories
As part of the project, Ismaele Nones will undertake a research trip in September 2026 focused on Istanbul’s urban, maritime, and weaving cultures. Inspired by the port setting of Istanbul Modern, the Bosphorus, and the city itself, the artist’s work will be a 49-part modular textile installation woven from yarn made by recycling discarded fishing nets. Bringing together craft, cultural memory, and the environment, Nones reinterprets the visual culture and textile traditions of the Mediterranean and the Near East through a contemporary language.
Following its inaugural presentation at Istanbul Modern, the work will be exhibited at MAC – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Lissone in 2028 and will subsequently enter the museum’s permanent collection. This process is an important part of Italian Council’s aim to support the production of new works and to enrich Italy’s public cultural heritage through contemporary art.
An emerging figure in contemporary Italian art: Who is Ismaele Nones?
Based in Turin, where he lives and works, Ismaele Nones grew up in his father's studio, an icon painter. Introduced at an early age to Byzantine iconography and symbolic forms of expression, the artist studied painting at the Alessandro Vittoria Art Institute in Trento and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. Working across a range of media, including painting, sculpture, mosaic and textiles, Nones connects historical modes of representation with contemporary political, social and ecological concerns. Through an interdisciplinary practice that brings together traditional crafts, religious symbols and the transformation of materials, he has emerged in recent years as a rising figure in contemporary Italian art.
About the project partners
The Blank Contemporary Art: Founded in 2010, The Blank Contemporary Art is a Bergamo-based non-profit arts organization and independent platform that develops exhibitions, artistic productions and international collaborations in the field of contemporary art.
MAC – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea di Lissone: Operating as a public museum with a focus on supporting contemporary art and Italian artists, the institution has strong ties to the historic “Lissone Prize.” Through its continually evolving collection, the museum sheds light on art from the late 20th century to th
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