Istanbul Modern marks Semiha Berksoy’s 22nd death anniversary with 'All Colors’ Ari'

Istanbul Modern is marking the 22nd anniversary of the death of Semiha Berksoy (1910-2004) with an online remembrance centered on the artist and performer’s enduring presence in Turkish cultural history. The museum described the occasion as a celebration of Berksoy’s “unique world of art, life, and ongoing inspiration,” tying the tribute to its exhibition 'All Colors’ Ari'.

The museum’s message places photographs from different periods of Berksoy’s life at the heart of the commemoration. Rather than presenting a new exhibition announcement, the note frames the anniversary as an opportunity to revisit Berksoy’s image and legacy through existing exhibition context, underscoring the breadth of her public and artistic life.

Berksoy remains a significant figure for Istanbul Modern’s audience because her name is closely associated with the intersection of modern art, performance, and cultural memory in Türkiye. The institution’s tribute does not add new biographical details, but it does reaffirm her continuing relevance by connecting the anniversary directly to 'All Colors’ Ari', a platform through which the museum is presenting material related to her life and work.

The source text does not specify additional programming, curatorial interventions, or a public event schedule. It also does not identify a new opening, closing date, or venue change connected to the remembrance. Instead, the museum’s statement is focused on a single moment of acknowledgement: “Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the passing of Semiha Berksoy,” it says, situating the tribute on the exact date of remembrance.

By highlighting photographs from different periods of Berksoy’s life, the museum emphasizes the visual record of an artist whose personal and professional identity has continued to attract interest well beyond her lifetime. The wording suggests a retrospective mode of looking, in which images serve as the primary means of revisiting her presence and influence.

Istanbul Modern’s note concludes by renewing attention on Berksoy through 'All Colors’ Ari', without expanding on the exhibition’s contents in the announcement. The tribute is anchored in the anniversary itself and in the museum’s invitation to remember Berksoy through the images and exhibition framing already associated with her name.