An opera stage, a painter’s studio, a film set, a writing desk — Semiha Berksoy did not keep these four spaces separate; she built them side by side within a single life. *Aria of All Colors* has been open at Istanbul Modern since January: a comprehensive retrospective devoted to this singular voice in Republican-era Turkish art, with more than 200 works on view. It closes 6 September — a show that deserves a visit before then.
Opera, Theatre, Painting, Writing: Parallel Languages
Semiha Berksoy was born in Istanbul in 1910 and died in 2004, aged ninety-four. Over that long life, she did enough for several others combined. As a soprano she performed on European stages; she starred in the first Wagner opera staged in Turkey. She was also painting throughout — in large formats, with powerful colour intensity. She appeared in *Istanbul Streets* (*İstanbul Sokaklarında*, 1931), Turkey’s first sound film. And she wrote short fiction.
This versatility was not accidental; each discipline fed the others. The stage dynamics of opera entered her canvases. The colour thinking of her painting shaped her presence on stage. The writing practice functioned as the intellectual ground beneath all of it.
“Aria of All Colors”: Expanded Scale, New Framework
This exhibition is a re-presentation. Under the title *Singing in Full Color*, the show was first staged at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart during the 2024–2025 winter season, curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, who conceived it as an operatic stage. Istanbul Modern has given the exhibition an entirely new frame: expanded in scale, retitled, and reconceived with a fresh curatorial approach.
The curators of the Istanbul presentation are Öykü Özsoy Sağnak (Chief Curator, Istanbul Modern) and Deniz Pehlivaner, with Yazın Öztürk as assistant curator. The exhibition catalogue carries texts by Dikmen Gürün, Ayşe Güngör, Sam Bardaouil, and Elif Uras, along with an interview between theatre and film artist Zeliha Berksoy and assistant curator Yazın Öztürk.
The Exhibition’s Structure: Thematic Layers
More than 200 works are organised around five main axes:
- Early drawings: The formation phase of the artist’s visual language.
- Opera-themed paintings: Stage dynamism translated to canvas — in large formats, with dramatic colour.
- Self-portraits and portraits: Berksoy’s gaze at both herself and the figures around her.
- Large-scale sheet paintings: Works carrying her most personal mythology, with a distinctive originality.
- Performing arts and cinema: Documents from the operas and theatre she performed in, and excerpts from *Istanbul Streets*.
This structure presents Berksoy not as an artist of a single discipline but as a living laboratory of inter-disciplinary relations.
From Hamburger Bahnhof to Istanbul
This exhibition travelling from Berlin to Istanbul is also a reflection of a geographical mobility in Berksoy’s own life. Berksoy was an artist who moved to Europe — particularly to Germany and Italy — and carried those experiences in both directions. The exhibition makes that bridge visible.
FAQ: Semiha Berksoy “Aria of All Colors” at Istanbul Modern
- Where and until when can I see the exhibition?
*Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors / Tüm Renklerin Aryası* runs 22 January – 6 September 2026 at Istanbul Modern. Address: Kılıç Ali Paşa Mahallesi, Tophane İskele Caddesi No:1/1, 34433 Beyoğlu. Book tickets at bilet.istanbulmodern.org. Note: Istanbul Modern is closed on Mondays.
- Who was Semiha Berksoy?
A Turkish soprano, painter, cinema actress, and writer who lived 1910–2004. She performed on opera stages in Turkey and Europe; appeared in Turkey’s first sound film, *Istanbul Streets* (1931); and maintained a painting practice simultaneously with her opera career.
- Was this exhibition shown elsewhere first?
Yes. Under the title *Semiha Berksoy: Singing in Full Color*, it ran 6 December 2024 – 11 May 2025 at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. For Istanbul Modern it was expanded in scale, retitled, and reconceived with a new curatorial framework.
NO-26 Note
You have until September — but the drift of summer makes it easy to postpone. Berksoy’s place in Turkish art history deserves permanence; this exhibition brings her from the background to front and centre. Dense enough to sustain more than one visit.
