Panorama: Dreams and Places

Aiming to present a thematic narrative on contemporary photography and lens-based art in Türkiye, “Panorama: Dreams and Places” brings together a comprehensive selection of works produced over the past decade by 18 artists from different generations. The exhibition is on view in the galleries on the first floor of Istanbul Modern.

The participating artists respond to the pressures and upheavals of today’s world through dreamlike landscapes, alternative visual geographies, and imagined realms shaped by their artistic practices. Through abstract topographies, fictional portraits, and inner spaces, these works do not offer an escape but rather create spaces where breathing – and pausing – become possible again. Reflecting the artists’ inquiries and explorations into the possibilities of photography, the exhibition spans a wide range of practices, from installations and moving images to artificial intelligence applications and archival materials. In doing so, it reminds us that photography not only reflects the world but also constructs new emotional and spatial imaginaries, inviting moments of stillness, contemplation, and renewal.

The “Panorama: Dreams and Places” exhibition catalogue features texts by Istanbul Modern Photography Advisory Board members Refik Akyüz, Serdar Darendeliler, and Orhan Cem Çetin, as well as essays by the museum’s Artistic Director Çelenk Bafra and Head of the Photography Department Demet Yıldız Dinçer.

Artists: Larissa Araz, İlgen Arzık, Emre Baykal, Silva Bingaz, Hasan Deniz, Umut Erbaş, Cem Ersavcı, Ece Gökalp, Cemre Yeşil Gönenli, Ege Kanar, Zeynep Kayan, Metehan Özcan, Yusuf Sevinçli, İrem Sözen, Selim Süme, Kerem Uzel, Begüm Yamanlar, Cansu Yıldıran

Exhibition Curators: Çelenk Bafra, Demet Yıldız Dinçer

Curatorial Team: Selen Erkal, Şevval Yürüten

Image:
İlgen Arzık
Escape, 2018 (detail)
Photogram
Courtesy of the artist