Istanbul’s art scene is starting to blossom as fall approaches. Some great exhibitions are on the way, ranging from classic to modern and just about everything in between. Thanks to dedicated artists and organizers coming together, new life is being pumped into the city’s art scape.  Below are some of the longer-running exhibitions that will be open for the majority of fall (with some extending into winter). Drop in for a warm and cultured retreat from the elements.

Brigitte Kowanz: Cut A Long Story Short

Austrian artist Brigitte Kowanz’s talent will be on display at Borusan Contemporary Art Gallery from September 15 to January 20. Her exhibition aims to create a more personal artistic experience by turning museum spaces themselves into “infinite landscapes.” Her most recent works include transfixing, alien-like combinations of mirrored surfaces, neon, and Morse code. The display can be visited on the weekends only; Kathleen Ford is set to curate.

Mehmet Ali Uysal: Peel

Mehmet Ali Uysal also focuses his artistry on art galleries themselves. His approach explores the idea that the sterility of an art space reinforces feelings of distance and separation between the artist and the viewer.  The theory makes for a more inclusive experience.  His latest exhibition runs from September 26 until December 8 at the Nesrin Esirtgen Collection.

Hassan Khan’s Solo Retrospective

Innovative, Cairo-based artist, musician, and writer Hassan Khan brings his most comprehensive exhibition to SALT Beyoğlu September 21 to January 6. Before showing his talents to the world in the late 1990s, Khan was involved in an underground art and music scene that was rarely seen by the public. His exhibition will feature a multifaceted layering of video, digital animation, sculpture, text and language, photography, and installation. The exhibition brings together works dating from the 1990s to 2012, including pieces of his early career either never before seen or only exhibited in his native Egypt. 

SALT & Van Abbemuseum: Modern Times

The third and final exhibition of Istanbul Einhdoven-SALTVanAbbe, the collaboration between Istanbul’s SALT galleries and the Dutch Van Abbemuseum, “Modern Times” presents a collection of paintings from the beginning of the 20^th Century until the 1960s from September 21 to December 30. With a revolutionary and modern disposition, the exhibition includes works by artists such as Pierre Alechinsky, Jean Bazaine, George Braque, and many more.

Istanbul Modern: Transformation: A View On Chinese Contemporary Art

Istanbul Modern hosts an exhibition focusing on modern art from China running from September 21 to November 25. Artists such as Cao Jijan, Miao Xiaochun, Xu Bing, and Liu Jianhua will present works based on traditional Chinese culture, reimagined through new techniques and perspectives. The culturally salient exhibition is curated by Sun Feng.

Sakıp Sabancı Museum: Claude Monet

Sabancı University’s Sakıp Sabancı Museum brings the works of French impressionist painter Claude Monet to the public between October 9 and January 6. Monet became known as the father of French Impressionism for its heavy concentration on form and light rather than realism. The exhibition, which focuses on large paintings of flowers and nature, showcases Monet’s works from the last 30 years of his life. In addition, the exhibition also features Monet’s close friend and French impressionist painter Auguste Renoir’s portraits, as well as Monet’s personal belongings and photographs.