Istanbul Modern will present "Aria of All Colors," an exhibition bringing together the multifaceted works of Semiha Berksoy, a significant figure in the Republican era and the history of modern Turkish art, on January 22, 2026.
The exhibition encompasses Berksoy's output across various fields, from performing arts to visual arts, cinema to literature. The unique relationships she established between opera, theatre, painting, and literature are conveyed to the viewer through over 200 works.
The retrospective, held at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in Berlin from December 6, 2024 to May 11, 2025, is presented at Istanbul Modern with a new curatorial approach, an original exhibition concept, and a different selection of works. The exhibition focuses on the artist's creative processes and life, enriched with sound recordings, images, ephemera, and photographs.
The exhibition at Istanbul Modern was reimagined by the museum's curatorial team, inspired by the exhibition design of Hamburger Bahnhof directors Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. The exhibition is curated by Istanbul Modern's chief curator Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, curator Deniz Pehlivaner, and assistant curator Yazın Öztürk.
The selection, ranging from early drawings to opera-themed paintings, self-portraits and portraits to sheet paintings, explores Berksoy's personal mythology and her connection to the stage within a thematic framework. Works in which the artist played a leading role, such as operas, plays, her published short stories, and Turkey's first sound film, "Istanbul Streets," are also included in the exhibition as part of this multi-layered production.
Who is Semiha Berksoy?
Semiha Berksoy, who lived from 1910 to 2004, was known as Turkey's first high dramatic soprano and one of the principal artists of the Ankara State Opera. Also prominent as a painter, performance artist, theatre and film actress, Berksoy received training in painting and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts, drama at the Theatre School, and music at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory in the early years of the Republic. Graduating first in her class from the Berlin State Higher Academy of Music, Berksoy became the first Turkish woman opera singer to perform in Europe. With over 70 years of work encompassing performing arts, literature, and visual arts, she is among the pioneering figures of modern Turkish cultural history.
(Source: https://t24.com.tr/haber/tum-renklerin-aryasi-semiha-berksoy-un-sergisi-istanbul-modern-de-aciliyor,1285935)