New art exhibition opens at iGA Istanbul Airport

İGA Istanbul Airport has opened a new art exhibition comprising a new sculpture and other artworks featuring lost property at the airport.

Under the umbrella of İGA ART, Turkish artist and TV personality Beyazıt Öztürk has unveiled a sculpture, called the ‘Thing’, and ‘Things’ exhibition, the latter featuring airport lost property.

Located at the İGA ART Gallery in the International Departures Terminal, the exhibition is designed to highlight the fact that airports are more than just transit points.

Airports are, in the poetic words of İGA Art, “spaces where human stories, memories, and emotions intersect”.

Curated by İGA ART executive board member, Marcus Graf, the project focuses on everyday objects that often go unnoticed and the memories they carry, reminding travellers that a journey can be an artistic experience as much as a physical one.

While the Turkish public has known Beyazıt Öztürk through his television career for decades, he is now presenting his “silent side” — his work in sculpture and ceramics.

At the heart of the exhibition is a sculpture named ‘Thing’, which is said to have been inspired by the baggage conveyor belt – an often-overlooked feature of airports.

Selahattin Bilgen, CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, noted that Öztürk’s work invites people to slow down, observe, and remember. He emphasised that the idea that “forgotten objects do not disappear; they simply change places” creates a powerful bond with the spirit of an airport.

He sais: “At iGA Istanbul Airport, we believe art is a cornerstone of life. We place great importance on bringing Anatolia’s cultural memory and Istanbul’s multi-layered identity to passengers from all over the world. These works offer a brief moment of tranquillity to thousands of passengers passing through this terminal every day.”

The Thing sculpture will remain as a permanent installation under İGA ART, the ‘Things exhibition will be open to visitors until April 2026.