Istanbul Modern

Istanbul Modern review Rate it

Created as Turkey's equivalent of London's Tate Modern, Istanbul Modern has grown comfortably into its role since opening in 2004. Housed in a former customs warehouse on the waterfront in Karaköy, the two-storey museum has 8,000 square metres of exhibition space. The permanent collection follows the transformation of Turkish art since the foundation of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1893 and reflects Turkey's shifting economic and political landscape.

On entering the unremarkable building, you'll see a large, site-specific piece from the eighth Biennial - a shattered glass staircase hung from steel chains, created by Monica Bonvicini. Likewise, Richard Wentworth's installation of hundreds of books suspended over the library, for the Centre of Gravity exhibition, proved so popular that it stayed.

The Lower Floor Galleries house temporary exhibitions. These have introduced major international artists, including Anish Kapoor, Juan Munoz and William Kentridge, to a local audience. However, Turkish artists are getting more space than they have in the past with shows from the likes of photographer Pınar Yolaç and painter Burhan Uygur.

One of the museum's galleries is dedicated exclusively to photography; another is devoted to video art. The in-house cinema screens an interesting mix of Turkish and international art-house movies and experimental shorts.

The museum's restaurant has proved a big hit in its own right. Stunning views across the Bosphorus to the minarets of Sultanahmet and out to the Marmara Sea just about justify bumped-up prices for decent bistro fare.