I currently serve as the Managing Editor at Istanbul Modern, where I’ve returned after nearly a decade of shaping the museum’s public voice through exhibition catalogues, wall texts, press releases, and more. In the past, I worked with Orhan Pamuk and his editor İshak Reyna on Hatıraların Masumiyeti, and led editorial and comms work at Columbia Global Center Istanbul. Alongside institutional work, I also take on freelance editorial projects with art spaces, cultural programs, and publishing houses—crafting content with precision, cadence, and narrative clarity.
Please find below some highlights from my editorial work.
Folia – Ömer Koç (2025)
I contributed editorial work for the exhibition catalogue of Folia, a large-scale exhibition organized under the auspices of Koç Holding at the Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion. Co-curated by Selen Ansen and Eda Berkmen, the exhibition draws on the idea of an “enchanted garden” envisioned by Ömer Koç and explores the dual meaning of folia—both foliage and folly. My editorial role involved refining and shaping the catalogue’s conceptual and descriptive texts to ensure clarity, precision, and alignment with the exhibition’s poetic and philosophical tone. The catalogue guides readers through this multi-sensory, interdisciplinary journey where nature, imagination, and transformation converge.
Sadık Karamustafa Archive – SALT Research (2025)
I worked as the editor on Yolculuklar, Ayinler ve Bir Arşiv: Sadık Karamustafa Yazıları (1986–2019) [Journeys, Rituals, and an Archive: Texts of Sadık Karamustafa (1986-2019)], the e-publication accompanying the online release of Sadık Karamustafa’s archive in SALT Research’s Graphic Design Archive. The publication gathers decades of Karamustafa’s writings, offering a rich personal lens on his design practice, cultural environment, and social engagement. My editorial contribution ensured textual consistency, clarity, and tone across archival selections, helping shape a publication that reflects the depth and complexity of his multifaceted career.
The Lives of Animals – SALT Beyoğlu (2025)
Editor of the exhibition The Lives of Animals, which explores the evolving, often fraught relationships between humans and animals through contemporary art, literature, and philosophy.
🔗 More about the exhibition
Where the River Burns – Zeyrek Çinili Hamam (2025)
I served as editor for Where the River Burns, an exhibition held within the restored architecture of Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. The show weaves together works that respond to themes of water, flow, rupture, and memory—exploring how rivers move through both physical and psychic landscapes. My role included shaping curatorial texts, wall copy, and supplementary materials, ensuring the exhibition’s narrative voice remained coherent, resonant, and in dialogue with the hamam’s layered history.
Anousha Payne: Murmurations – Zeyrek Çinili Hamam (2025)
I served as editor for Murmurations, a solo exhibition by Anousha Payne held in the atmospheric space of Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. The works engage with ideas of movement, collective behavior, and transformation—drawing on natural and urban rhythms in dialogue with the structure’s historic architecture. My editorial role included refining curatorial essays, gallery texts, and supplementary materials, ensuring the voice of the show echoed both the artwork’s intention and the hamam’s layered past.
Alekos Fassianos: Sailing to Byzantium – Zeyrek Çinili Hamam (2024)
Served as the editor for Alekos Fassianos: Sailing to Byzantium, a landmark exhibition held in the recently uncovered Byzantine cistern beneath Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. Curated by Anlam de Coster in collaboration with the Alekos Fassianos Museum in Athens, the exhibition featured five previously unseen works by the renowned Greek artist Alekos Fassianos.
Healing Ruins – Zeyrek Çinili Hamam (2023)
Edited Healing Ruins, the opening exhibition of the restored Zeyrek Çinili Hamam. Curated by Anlam de Coster, the show featured 22 artists and addressed themes of bodily and architectural healing.
Bülent Eczacıbaşı – Editorial Work
I provided editing and proofreading for several of Bülent Eczacıbaşı’s books—works that explore leadership, responsibility, and the evolving role of business in society. Each of these titles offered a chance to refine and clarify complex ideas, ensuring they resonated with readers.
- For Your Consideration (2025)
- Just To Keep in Mind (2024)
- Aklımızda Bulunsun – İş İnsanları İçin Denemeler (2022)
- A Rip in the Sea: New Responsibilities for Business (2020)
- İşim Gücüm Budur Benim – İş İnsanının Yeni Sorumlulukları (2018)
Hatıraların Masumiyeti – Book by Orhan Pamuk (2015)
Collaborated with Orhan Pamuk and editor İshak Reyna on Hatıraların Masumiyeti, a richly layered companion book to the film of the same name, weaving together objects, memory, and fiction.
🔗 About the book (Turkish)
A Selection of Exhibition Catalogues Edited at Istanbul Modern – 2013-2022
1. “Artists in Their Time”
This collection catalogue features essays by art historian Ahu Antmen and literary scholar Handan İnci, offering insights into the museum’s permanent collection.
2. “Till It’s Gone: An Exhibition on Nature and Sustainability”
A bilingual catalogue accompanying the exhibition, it includes curatorial texts by Çelenk Bafra and Paolo Colombo, along with essays by Richard Heinberg and Dr. Roger Cook, focusing on environmental themes in contemporary art.
3. “Guests: Artists and Craftspeople”
This publication explores the intersection of art and craft, featuring works from international artists and local artisans. It includes curatorial texts and an article by architect Aslı Kıyak İngin on Istanbul’s craft neighborhoods.
4. “Harbor”
An exhibition catalogue that examines the cultural and social significance of port areas in Istanbul, featuring essays, photographs, and a historical timeline of the city’s relationship with the sea.
N. Can Kantarcı 