Istanbul Modern and Volvo Car Turkey have joined forces to launch the ‘Design Dialogues’ program, an initiative designed to connect Turkish designers with prominent international names. The program, which will span a year, is scheduled to commence on February 17 and will feature masterclasses and workshops covering 10 distinct themes.
Program Aims to Enhance Design Education and Collaboration
Speaking at a press conference held at the museum, Oya Eczacıbaşı, Chairperson of the Board of Istanbul Modern, emphasized that this program will strengthen the museum’s educational mission. She stated, “‘Design Dialogues’ is a project born from our museum’s strong collaborations with the creative ecosystem, our new museum building, and innovative projects that bring together design, art, and craftsmanship. As a museum, we have supported design culture through programs like ‘From Craft to Design,’ the ‘Design Cities’ exhibition in collaboration with the Design Museum London, and ‘Guests: Artists and Artisans,’ where international artists worked with Istanbul’s masters. This program adds value to our museum’s educational mission by delving deeply into design and contemporary design issues.”
Neslihan Varol, Education Director at Istanbul Modern, further elaborated on the program, saying, “We wanted to offer a program that deepens the understanding of design by exploring contemporary approaches, different production models, new ways of thinking. We aimed for creativity, innovation, and sustainability.”
Doğanberk Demir, Creative Director of the Istanbul Modern Store, highlighted that design is an area connected not only to production, material, and technology but also to hope. He explained, “We launched the ‘Design Dialogues’ program to expand the museum’s contributions to design and creative industries, open new avenues for design, add value to the design ecosystem, and create a platform that helps us better understand our environment through design thinking and methods, developing different perspectives and solutions for social and cultural issues.”
Alican Emiroğlu, General Manager of Volvo Car Turkey, pointed out that they view design not merely as aesthetics but as an experience that simplifies life, takes responsibility, and adds value to the future. He remarked, “‘Design Dialogues,’ which we are implementing with Istanbul Modern, stems precisely from this question: ‘How can design guide us towards a better life and a better environment?’ As two institutions sharing similar visions, we are very happy and excited about this program, which we believe will provide an inspiring platform for our participants, especially young designers, to seek answers to this question.”
Kick-off with Sebastian Herkner Masterclass
The program will officially begin on February 17 with a masterclass led by Sebastian Herkner, who has been repeatedly named Designer of the Year by Edida and Maison&Objet. Following the masterclass titled “Design and Humanity,” the first workshop will be conducted by Red Dot award-winning designer Şule Koç on February 25-26.
Scheduled events include masterclass trainings by Nevzat Sayın, Ebru Kurbak, Justin McGuirk, Jane Wither, and Gaye Çevikel. Workshops will be led by designers such as Mesut Öztürk, Hakan Sorar, Ahmet Rüstem Ekici, Yeşim Eröktem, Pınar Akkurt, SO? Mimarlık ve Fikriyat, Uniqka, and Mevce Çıracı.
The masterclass seminars, with an anticipated total of 1500 participants, will be open to professionals and anyone interested in design. The workshops, however, are specifically aimed at young individuals who have graduated from design departments at universities between 2020 and 2026, holding undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. Participants who complete the workshop program will receive an “Istanbul Modern Design Dialogues Digital Participation Certificate.”
The program is supported by 40 universities, including Istanbul University, Istanbul Technical University, Yıldız Technical University, and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, as well as 10 non-governmental organizations, including the Industrial Designers Association, Istanbul Chamber of Industry, and the Fashion Designers Association.
