| After a three-year hiatus, Istanbul Modern’s “Museums Talk” series organized since 2012, rebegins. The first guest of the program, bringing together museum professionals with their colleagues from Türkiye as well as museum visitors at Istanbul Modern's new museum building is Italy. After the United States in 2012–2014, the United Kingdom in 2014–2015, Germany in 2016–2017, and France in 2019–2020, with the support of the Consulate General of Italy and in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Istanbul, “Museums Talk” focuses on Italy in 2023–2024. Within the scope of the program, representatives from museums and culture&art institutions based in various cities of Italy, who will meet with art lovers and art enthusiasts at Istanbul Modern, explore the art ecosystem specific to Italy under the guidance of current museological research. PAST EVENTS Pinault Collection in Venice: A Brief History Friday, November 24, 2023, 19.00 Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium Mauro Baronchelli Operative Director Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana The Punta della Dogana, which opened its doors in 2009 following the Pallazo Grassi in 2006, hosts the programs of Pinault Collection in Venice. With the addition of the Bourse de Commerce, which opened in Paris in 2021, the dream of bringing Pinault Collection to more art enthusiasts is turning into reality. Pinault Collection, which has been growing for about fifty years, consists of nearly ten thousand artworks, and is one of the most important collections of contemporary art in the world. Since 2013, programs at the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi, also in Venice, have supported the collection’s goal of being active in Venice throughout the year. Built in the second half of the 18th century as a residence, the Palazzo Grassi is located on the edge of the Grand Canal, while the Punta della Dogana, constructed in the 17th century and serving as Venice's customs house, is located at the intersection of the Grand Canal and the Guidecca Canal. The restoration of these two buildings, together with the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi, was led by Tadao Ando, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1995. The exhibition spaces designed by Ando, with the interventions made by the architect revealing their original architecture and transformations, bring the buildings to the present day, and make visible the various layers of history. Operative director, Mauro Baronchelli will introduce the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana in Venice, which have taken an important place on the atlas of contemporary art thanks to the prestigious Venice Biennale. Baronchelli, who has previously contributed to the municipality’s cultural policy department in Bergamo, Italy, where he worked on several projects and activities, also focused on youth access to the arts throughout his career. He also worked on the reopening of the Accademia Carrara, which was closed for renovation between 2008 and 2015. In his talk, Mauro Baronchelli will give information about the exhibitions held at the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, the operations of the institution, and their future plans. Photo (left:): Punta della Dogana © Palazzo Grassi Fotoğraf photo Thomas Mayer The event is free of charge. The talk is held in Italian. Simultaneous translation is provided. Museums today: Castello di Rivoli a case study Friday, October 6, 2023, 19.00 Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev Director Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Witnessing history from the Middle Ages to the present day due to its premises, Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea opened in 1984 as Italy’s first contemporary art museum after an extensive restoration project. Located in Rivoli, right outside Turin—the capital of the Piemonte Region in Northwestern Italy—the museum complex is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Housed in the Savoy Dynasty’s palace, in addition to its exhibitions and programs, the museum focuses on current transformations and allows interaction with the past through pioneering research. Including important artworks from the Arte Povera art movement, which means “poor art” in Italian, Castello di Rivoli describes art and culture as crucial tools for understanding today and today’s contexts. In parallel, participatory activities organized with the contributions of various-scaled collaborators position art as one of the most important aspects in the development of society. Concepts such as creativity, research, education, and cultural progress help to develop the museum’s collection and framework for exhibitions making it possible to make connections between local, regional, and global narratives. Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (Ridgewood, New Jersey), who also curated the 14th Istanbul Biennial in 2015 entitled “SALTWATER”, started her first position at Castello di Rivoli in 2002 as the chief curator. In 2008 she left Castello di Rivoli to curate the 16th Biennial of Sydney in Australia, and returned to the museum as interim director in 2009 prior to directing dOCUMENTA (13) which opened in 2012. In 2016, she became the director of Castello di Rivoli. Christov-Bakargiev, the 2015 recipient of the Culture Prize awarded by the German state of Hesse to outstanding figures in the fields of art, science, and cultural exchange, organized exhibitions and programs at globally acclaimed institutions such as Villa Medici in Rome and MoMA PS1 in New York, and published publications focusing on artists and art movements. | 
