Museum directors from the Netherlands are visiting Istanbul Modern

The 'Museums Speak' program, organized by Istanbul Modern since 2012, is realized this year in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Istanbul. Sjarel Ex, who was the director of the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam for many years, and Rein Wolfs, the Director of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, share their experiences with art lovers.

In his talk titled ‘ A New Typology for Museums and Repositories’ on Wednesday, May 14, Sjarel Ex will focus on the responsibility of museums to connect their collections more effectively with society.

Sjarel Ex, who also curated the ' La La La Human Steps ' exhibition at Istanbul Modern in 2012, is known as the name who brought the collection of the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum to the public through the Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Depot), the first art depot built in 2021 and open to visitors.

Before the talk, the documentary DEPOT – Reflecting Boijmans, narrated by Sjarel Ex, who initiated the project, and Winy Maas, one of the founders of MVRDV, which undertook the architecture of the structure, will be screened. Directed by Sonia Herman Dolz, the documentary tells the story of Depot’s founding process.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 17.30 – Documentary Screening: DEPOT – Reflecting Boijmans , 86' 19.00 – Talk: A New Typology for Museums and Warehouses

Sjarel Ex, who studied art history, specialized in Dutch avant-garde art, especially the De-Stijl movement that developed there and its influence on the German Bauhaus in its formative years. Ex, who has undertaken international projects throughout his career, has carried out important work both as a researcher and curator. Ex, who played an important role in the transformation process of the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, led the Depot project, which aims to bring the museum's collection to the public in a more transparent way. Ex, who left his position at the museum in 2022, continues his work as an independent curator, writer and consultant.

Founded in 1849, the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum houses an international collection of more than 150,000 works in the fields of classical, modern, contemporary art and design. The museum takes its name from its two most important benefactors, Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans and Daniël George Van Beuningen. Located in the Museumpark area, where the city's leading museums are located, the museum is housed in the Van der Steur Building, built in 1935 and expanded with additions by Bodon in the 1970s and Robbrecht & Daem in the 1990s. The museum, which recently closed its doors temporarily for renovations, continues to exhibit its collection in traveling exhibitions and at the Depot, which opened in 2021.

The second guest of the program will be Rein Wolfs on Tuesday, May 27th.