September 2025. Aligned with the opening of the Istanbul Biennial and Contemporary Istanbul, the new lifestyle hotel Aliée on the Bosphorus emerges as a vibrant meeting point for international artists, VIPs, and cultural enthusiasts. Within the expansive halls and contemporary spaces of the property, opened in June in the shipyard district of Tersane—a cosmopolitan audience can expect a diverse program of exhibitions as part of the Artist-in-Residence initiative, inspiring talks, and exclusive events. The season opens on September 15 with an exclusive dinner hosted by the hotel in honor of artists Pascale Marthine Tayou and Arcangelo Sassolino.
At Aliée Istanbul, international artists encounter the avant-garde interiors crafted by Los Angeles–based Powerstrip Studio.
In collaboration with the international gallery Galleria Continua and its Artist-in-Residence program, several works are exhibited throughout the property. Highlights include Pascale Marthine Tayou’s installation Tornado in the hotel’s light-filled courtyard gallery. In parallel, Italian artist Arcangelo Sassolino presents his sculpture Condition of Desire, on view from September 16 to December 14 at Beymen G8 – The Space, within Tersane Istanbul. American artist Summer Wheat contributes to the permanent Aliée collection with her mosaic work Subterranean Garden, while German artist Jorinde Voigt introduces sculptures and works on paper designed to engage with the city’s memory.
„Aliée Istanbul is far more than a classic hotel; it is a fluid, creative concept that allows guests to experience art and culture down to the finest detail.
The 100-meter-long glass-roofed courtyard transforms into an exhibition space, where artists can create emotions and memories over six months or a year. Through collaborations with invited artists and our Artist-in-Residence program, we are developing a model in which art is not merely displayed, but lived.
At Aliée Istanbul, the encounter with art and culture begins with the architecture itself and manifests not only on the walls, but also on the floors guests walk across, the tables they sit at—everywhere they are and in every perspective they see. Istanbul can be experienced here in an entirely new light.“*
— Aslı Ünal, Director of Culture & Arts, Tersane Istanbul
Pascale Marthine Tayou (Cameroon, 1966) has gained international recognition for his eclectic works made from natural, unusual, and everyday materials. His participation in Documenta 11 in 2002 and the Venice Biennale between 2005 and 2009 demonstrates how his practice revolves around the human experience. Themes of identity and belonging are expressed across sculpture, drawing, installation, and video. Following exhibitions in Abu Dhabi, Belgium, and France, his work Tornado (2018–2025) now comes to Istanbul: a masterpiece in which the artist recycles corrugated iron sheets—typically used for makeshift shelters—and charges them with color and vitality. Tornado will be on view at Aliée Istanbul for six months.
American artist Summer Wheat, who explores gender roles across eras and cultures and transforms them into contemporary myths, will be represented with a 15 m² mosaic installation, Subterranean Garden (2025). Created as Aliée Istanbul’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence work, it becomes part of the property’s permanent collection.
Arcangelo Sassolino (Italy, 1967) is recognized as a leading talent whose work fuses physical laws with artistic creativity. His practice explores the variable and uncertain possibilities of matter. His inorganic mechanisms evoke curiosity, unease, and adrenaline through sculptures operating with speed, pressure, and temperature. His work Condition of Desire (2009), installed at Tersane Istanbul’s Beymen G8 – The Space, features a hydraulically powered steel structure that causes marble—the quintessential symbol of classical sculpture—to collapse. A majestic statement on the insatiable nature of human desire, the piece will be on view at Beymen for six months.
