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Istanbul Modern will bring together two major international contemporary art networks, Artists’ Film International (AFI) and the Argentina-based BIENALSUR, with a joint program running from Dec. 23, 2025 to Jan. 16, 2026. The screenings and video installations will be presented at the museum’s new building, marking an important moment for Istanbul’s role within the global moving-image art sector.
According to information shared by the museum, Istanbul Modern will host the AFI program for the first time in its new venue. AFI is an international contemporary art network formed by 17 art institutions from 15 different countries. Each participating institution selects a recent work by an artist from its own region, based on a shared annual theme, and the works are then shown throughout the year in exhibition or screening formats.
Curated by Istanbul Modern museum curators Nilay Dursun and Umit Mesci, the selection will be screened at the Istanbul Modern Auditorium at 2:00 p.m. on multiple dates between late December and mid-January. By bringing together artists from different geographies, the program is set up to offer international audiences a comparative look at how moving-image practices respond to shared ideas across borders.
This year’s AFI theme, translated as “States of Dreaming,” focuses on the transformative power of dreaming as a way of rethinking the past and imagining alternative futures. The program looks into how dreams can open up spaces for reflection and change, while also serving as a conceptual tool for artists working with film and video.
Within this framework, a public talk will be held on Dec. 26, moderated by Istanbul Modern curator Umit Mesci, bringing together Ahmet Rustem Ekici and Hakan Sorar. The discussion will revolve around how technology is reshaping video production, with a particular focus on the influence of artificial intelligence on creative processes and moving-image practices. Using the work “Golet” as a starting point, the conversation will zoom in on today’s digital visual culture and where it may be heading in the near future.
Running alongside AFI, Istanbul Modern will also host a BIENALSUR project for the first time. BIENALSUR is an international contemporary art biennial initiative based in Argentina, known for commissioning and circulating works across multiple countries.
As part of this collaboration, visitors will be able to watch Mysteries, a video commissioned by BIENALSUR in 2017 from the late French artist Christian Boltanski. The work will be shown on the museum’s mezzanine level throughout the program period.
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