NEW YORK
The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA PS1, and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art announce a new partnership that will further expand the international MoMA/MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program (YAP) to Turkey. YAP Istanbul will provide opportunities for emerging architects in Turkey to create temporary exterior installations to serve as biennial architectural landscapes for summer programming at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. YAP Istanbul joins the annual YAP International programs at MoMA PS1 in New York, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts (MAXXI) in Ro
me, and the cultural organization CONSTRUCTO in Santiago, Chile.
YAP offers selected young designers and architects the opportunity to create designs
that promote diverse uses such as rest, play, and relaxation as well as hosting a series of live
events such as shows, music, dance, exhibitions, and performances. In addition architects are
encouraged to address environmental issues, including sustainability and recycling, to create
highly innovative projects that provide shade, seating, and water.
The inaugural YAP Istanbul installation—chosen from five finalists by a team of
representatives from both Museums as well as representatives from the other YAP
International programs—will open in June 2013, coinciding with the openings of YAP at MoMA
PS1 and YAP MAXXI. In addition to their respective winning designs, each YAP International
location will feature an exhibition showcasing the proposed designs from all of the finalists
within the YAP International program during the summer of 2013.
“The Young Architects Program was created to offer young designers an early
opportunity to realize their visions in built form,” says Barry Bergdoll, The Philip Johnson Chief
Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA. “The expansion of YAP to Rome, Santiago, and
now Istanbul, gives well-deserved international recognition to a pool of talented locally-based
designers within these programs, fostering innovative ideas and helping launch careers. The
vibrancy of the architecture and design worlds in Turkey demands attention both locally and
internationally. While the finalists in this biennial program will highlight the creativity of young
Turkish designers, the other international YAP members will provide further exposure through
exhibitions at their venues as well as on a dedicated website. This is a new model of global
exhibition that recognizes local talent bases.”
Oya Eczacıbaşı, Chair of the Board of Istanbul Modern, expressed her delight in signing
the agreement with MoMA/MoMA PS1. “As a museum committed to sharing Turkey’s artistic
creativity with wide audiences and promoting its cultural identity in the international art world, e are thrilled to be collaborating with a team of experts from MoMA/MoMA PS1 on YAP
Istanbul, which shall have a pioneering role in the field of contemporary architecture in
Turkey. Exhibiting innovative approaches in architecture and supporting creative architectural
projects from Turkey have been among our primary goals for many years. We believe that the
YAP Istanbul is the right program to achieve these objectives.”
Istanbul Modern organizes a variety of projects and events in arts and culture with an
interdisciplinary approach for diverse audiences. YAP Istanbul is significant in terms of being
the first comprehensive and persistent project in the field of architecture. Stressing the
significance of the project in light of Turkey’s architectural landscape and vibrant
contemporary production, Ms. Eczacıbaşı added, “YAP Istanbul will include architectural
installations designed for the museum’s courtyard, an architectural exhibition showcasing the
designs of international finalists, and a wide range of summer activities. Through this program
we hope to support emerging talents and create an international platform in Istanbul for
discussing this field.”
