November in Istanbul: Your guide to 20 inspiring art exhibitions

Istanbul’s November art scene brims with inspiration, offering visitors and locals an engaging array of art exhibitions across the city.

From timeless masterpieces to cutting-edge installations, Istanbul’s galleries, art exhibitions, and museums cater to all art lovers.

Whether you’re an expat, tourist, or resident, this guide presents the city’s most captivating exhibitions, providing a rich cultural experience for everyone.

Here are some of the top art exhibitions you can visit in Istanbul this month, each promising a unique perspective on contemporary and historical art.

1. What Trees Whisper

• Location: Anna Laudel Istanbul
• Dates: Until November 10, 2024
• Overview: In What Trees Whisper, Ardan Ozmenoglu uses glass sculptures and natural materials to explore nature’s silent language and humanity’s complex relationship with the natural world.

2. Enigmatic Couple Tales

• Location: Art x-ist
• Dates: Until November 16, 2024
• Overview: Gulin Hayat Topdemir’s exhibition, inspired by Victorian aesthetics, offers a mystical exploration of human relationships, combining elements of the past with modern surrealism.

3. Lost tales, Recovered Histories

• Location: Pi Artworks
• Dates: Until December 31, 2024
• Overview: Xiaoze Xie presents Lost Tales and Recovered Histories, focusing on the fragility of memory and the passage of history, using diverse mediums to depict the spaces between past and present.

4. Pablo Picasso: From Painting to Ceramics

• Location: Ataturk Cultural Center
• Dates: Until December 31, 2024
• Overview: This retrospective is one of the month’s most anticipated art exhibitions in Istanbul, with over 170 pieces capturing Picasso’s vast artistic legacy.

5. Warhol’s World

• Location: Ataturk Cultural Center
• Dates: Until December 31, 2024
• Overview: This exhibition showcases Andy Warhol’s impact on pop art and culture, with iconic pieces reflecting his groundbreaking approach to modern art.

6. Georg Baselitz: The Last Decade

• Location: Sakip Sabanci Museum
• Dates: Until February 2, 2025
• Overview: Showcasing Baselitz’s recent large-scale works, this exhibition explores trauma, memory, and the human form, with nearly 100 pieces by the influential German artist.
• Sources: themagger.com, user additional info

7. Olafur Eliasson: Your Unexpected Encounter

• Location: Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
• Dates: Until February 9, 2025
• Overview: Eliasson’s immersive installations challenge viewers’ perceptions and invite them to explore the boundaries between reality and imagination.

8. Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds

• Location: Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
• Dates: Until April 20, 2025
• Overview: Marking 100 years of Japan-Türkiye diplomatic relations, Shiota’s work reflects on themes of memory, connection, and the tensions between presence and absence.

9. Renzo Piano: Genius Loci

• Location: Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
• Dates: Until December 31, 2024
• Overview: This exhibition presents Renzo Piano’s architectural vision, illustrating his ability to blend structures with their surrounding environments.

10. One of Türkiye’s most famous art exhibitions: Contemporary Istanbul 19th Edition

• Location: Tersane, Istanbul
• Dates: Until November 15, 2024
• Overview: Contemporary Istanbul, one of Türkiye’s premier art exhibitions, brings together galleries, artists, and collectors from around the globe.

11. Izzet Keribar: Journey of Colors

• Location: Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
• Dates: Until May 25, 2025
• Overview: Keribar’s vibrant photography captures the cultural and scenic diversity encountered throughout his global travels.

12. Apolonia Sokol: ISLAWIO

• Location: The Pill, Istanbul
• Dates: Until December 21, 2024
• Overview: Sokol’s paintings focus on identity, heritage, and the female form, presenting alternative narratives that challenge conventional representations.

13. Leyla Gediz: Stagehand

• Location: The Pill, Istanbul
• Dates: Until November 16, 2024
• Overview: This exhibition highlights the behind-the-scenes processes in art production, revealing often-overlooked aspects of creativity.

14. Group Exhibition: Rising Waters, Radiating Lights

• Location: Zilberman Istanbul Dialogues
• Dates: Until November 30, 2024
• Overview: This group exhibition at Zilberman Istanbul Dialogues is among the city’s most thought-provoking art exhibitions, addressing climate change through a creative lens.

15. Doug Aitken: Naked City

• Location: Borusan Contemporary
• Dates: Until August 17, 2025
• Overview: Aitken’s installation explores the complexity of urban life, using multimedia to reflect on the contradictions inherent in modern cities.

16. Sebastiao Salgado: Genesis

• Location: MSGSU Tophane-i Amire Cultural and Arts Center
• Dates: Until December 31, 2024
• Overview: Salgado’s Genesis collection captures breathtaking natural landscapes and indigenous cultures, urging environmental awareness.

17. Farz Et Ki Sen Yoksun (Let’s say you do not exist)

• Location: Arter
• Dates: Until December 29, 2024
• Overview: This collection is one of Istanbul’s largest art exhibitions, with around 400 pieces on display exploring themes of memory and absence.

18. Ara Guler: A Handful of Beautiful People

• Location: Ara Guler Museum
• Dates: Permanent
• Overview: Ara Guler’s portraits celebrate literary figures and his deep connections with Istanbul’s artistic and intellectual scene.

19. Vera Molnar: In Search of Algorithms

• Location: Pera Museum
• Dates: Until January 26, 2025
• Overview: As one of the pioneers of computer art, Vera Molnar’s display at Pera Museum features her algorithmic and system-based artworks, exploring the relationship between mathematics and visual art.

20. Vlastimil Beranek & Jaroslav Prosek: Gates of the Underground

• Location: Yerebatan Cistern
• Dates: Until November 30, 2024
• Overview: Czech sculptors Vlastimil Beranek and Jaroslav Prosek exhibit striking crystal sculptures within the historic Yerebatan Cistern, merging the venue’s ancient atmosphere with modern artistic reflections on myth and human experience.

As November unfolds, Istanbul’s art scene continues to captivate with an impressive array of art exhibitions that celebrate both local talent and international visionaries.

From reflective installations that challenge perception to exhibitions that explore history and identity, there’s something to inspire every visitor.

Whether you’re drawn to classic works, contemporary pieces, or immersive experiences, Istanbul’s art exhibitions offer a rich journey through diverse forms of creativity and expression.