Istanbul Modern’s advisory boards are renewed

Istanbul Modern has restructured its advisory boards on arts with the participation of leading international experts. In addition, a new advisory board has been established to further develop the museum’s collection policies.

The International Advisory Board, which guides the museum’s global programs and strategies, has been strengthened with new members from diverse regions. The board will convene this year during the early days of the Istanbul Biennial and for the first time include directors of art institutions and museums from Asia.

The restructured board includes Hoor Al-Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation and Director of the Sharjah Biennial at the United Arab Emirates; Suhanya Raffel, Director of M+ Hong Kong and President of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM); Laurent Le Bon, President of the Centre Pompidou in Paris; Glenn D. Lowry, Director of The MoMa in New York; and Sheena Wagstaff, Creative Advisor to Frieze Masters in London and who has previously led the contemporary art programs of institutions such as Tate Modern and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Together with three new members, Lowry and Wagstaff continue to contribute to strengthening Istanbul Modern’s position in the global art scene.

Renewal of the Photography Advisory Board

The Photography Advisory Board, which supports Istanbul Modern’s photography gallery and lens-based arts program, has also been renewed. The Board brings together photography curators and editors from around the world. Its new members include Refik Akyüz and Serdar Darendeliler, cultural Managers, editor and co-founders of Geniş Açı Proje Ofisi (GAPO); photographer, writer, and lecturer Orhan Cem Çetin; Diane Dufour, founder and co-director of LE BAL in Paris, which focuses on photography, film, and new media arts; and Dr. Oluremi C. Onabanjo, The Peter Schub Curator of Photography at MoMA in New York and a scholar of photography and the arts of the Atlantic world.

A new board to support collection development

A new Collection Advisory Board has been established to strengthen Istanbul Modern’s collection development and exhibition policies. Led by of the museum’s Artistic Director, Çelenk Bafra, the board has begun its work with independent members including art historian and academic Prof. Dr. Esra Aliçavuşoğlu, and London-based independent curator and writer Fatoş Üstek. The board is expected to meet at least twice a year and to be renewed every four years, providing support for the museum’s collection exhibitions, acquisitions, and collection-related research with contributions from independent experts and museum curators.