Famed art museum ushers in new era

ISTANBUL - It's a busy afternoon at Istanbul Modern, Turkey's premier modern art museum, and the gallery is packed with visitors taking selfies or discussing the artworks in hushed tones.

Some pause in front of a massive canvas by celebrated German artist Anselm Kiefer, while others look in amazement at a masterpiece by Turkish abstract painter Fahrelnissa Zeid or gasp at iconic black and white images of old Istanbul by legendary local photographer Ara Guler.

Since opening in 2004, Istanbul Modern, spectacularly situated on the Bosporus with a view of the Ottoman-era Topkapi Palace, has become a symbol of 21st century Istanbul, open to outside influences but proud of its past.