Olafur Eliasson’s upcoming exhibition at Istanbul Modern

Starting on June 7, 2024, Istanbul Modern is bringing audiences together with a comprehensive selection from the 30-year career of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, who has attracted great attention with his projects and artworks all over the world. The exhibition titled “Olafur Eliasson: Senin beklenmedik karşılaşman (Your unexpected encounter)” has been made possible via the main sponsorship of Eczacıbaşı Group and VitrA, is the artist's first exhibition in Türkiye

Istanbul Modern announces the first exhibition of Olafur Eliasson in Türkiye—the artist who creates artworks that emphasize the active participation of the audience and states that this encounter is a central component to the work.

The comprehensive exhibition, sponsored by Eczacıbaşı Group and VitrA, includes nearly 40 artworks, including new productions. The exhibition explores subjects that Eliasson has focused on throughout his 30 years of artistic practice, such as natural ephemera including water, light, color, as well as perception, movement, geometry, and the environment. The exhibition is curated by Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, Nilay Dursun, and Ümit Mesci from the museum's curatorial team.

The exhibition “Olafur Eliasson: Senin beklenmedik karşılaşman (Your unexpected encounter)” will be on display at Istanbul Modern between June 7, 2024 and February 9, 2025. 

About Olafur Eliasson

The works of artist Olafur Eliasson (b. 1967) explore the relevance of art in the world at large. Since 1997, his wide-ranging solo shows—featuring installations, paintings, sculptures, photography, and film—have appeared in major museums around the globe. In 2003, he represented Denmark at the 50th Venice Biennale, and later that year he installed “The weather project” at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, London. Eliasson’s projects in public space include “The New York City Waterfalls,” 2008; “Fjordenhus,” 2018; and “Ice Watch,” 2014. In 2012, Eliasson founded the social business “Little Sun,” and in 2014, he and Sebastian Behmann founded Studio Other Spaces, an office for art and architecture. In 2019, Eliasson was named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador for climate action. Located in Berlin, Studio Olafur Eliasson comprises a large team of craftspeople, architects, archivists, researchers, administrators, cooks, art historians, and specialized technicians.

Eliasson and his studio not only artistically analyze themes surrounding sustainability and climate advocacy, but also take measures to reduce the carbon footprint throughout the production and the development of exhibitions.