İpek Ulusoy Akgül is an Istanbul-based arts professional with extensive international experience in exhibition-making, editing, writing and cultural management. İpek consults museums, cultural institutions, galleries, art spaces and initiatives in order to create meaningful, inspiring and socially-engaged programs and publications. Her core interests lie in contemporary artistic and curatorial practices as well as dance, ecology and cultural heritage. İpek is also the cofounder of Consciously Curated.
EDUCATION
2010 MA, Museum Studies, New York University (NYU), New York, USA
Fulbright Scholarship & NYU Full Tuition Scholarship
2008 Graduate Program in History, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, TR
Coursework completed with a focus on History of Art, Architecture & Visual Culture
2007 BA, Cultural Studies, Sabancı University, Istanbul, TR
Academic Excellence Scholarship & Dean’s List
2025 Guest Curator, Fragments Reimagined: Pathways to Coherence, Sevil Dolmacı Dubai, UAE
An upcoming international group exhibition, Spring 2025
2018 Curator, Elif Uras: The Source, Istanbul, TR
A site-specific installation at a historic storefront, a previously vacant part of the 150 year-old Galata Greek School, featuring a wall of ceramic tiles, a functioning ceramic fountain and several drawings. Teaser here; simultaneously launched artist monograph, edited by the curator, here
2015 Curator, Reading Room, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar
A curatorial project revolving around community-building and the role of books in artistic/curatorial practices. Participants: George Awde, Monira al Qadiri, Mayssa Fattouh, Namkha Beschi, Laura Barlow and Abdellah Karroum
2014 Curator, Proposals on Monumentality, Green Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE
An international group exhibition featuring Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Iman Issa, Christian Jankowski, Amina Menia, Seher Shah & Santiago Sierra. Curatorial text, installation view & press here
2013 Curatorial Projects Manager, Borusan Contemporary, Istanbul, TR
Assistant Curator, Brigitte Kowanz’s Cut a Long Story Short, cur by Kathleen Forde. Exhibition brochure here
Oversaw curatorial matters regarding temporary & collections exhibitions, commissions, publications
Major exhibitions include “Datascape: what you see may not be what you get” cur by Benjamin Weil here; “Anima: U-Ram Choe” cur by Choi Doo Eun Choi here; “4to2floors: Gerwald Rockenshaub” cur by Necmi Sönmez here; Daniel Canogar’s Crossroads (2012) here
2011-12 Director’s Assistant, Galeri Mana, Istanbul, TR
Worked on the exhibition program, production and curatorial texts. Douglas Gordon, Charles Sandison, Murat Akagündüz, Nasar Tur, Diana al Haddid, Lewis Baltz & others
2010 Curatorial Intern, Independent Curators International (ICI), New York, NY, USA
Facilitated the planning of “Project 35” (cur by Zoe Butt); “Image Transfer”; “Raymond Pettibon: The Punk Years, 1978–86” and “People’s Biennial”
2009 Curatorial Intern, Dumbo Art Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Facilitated the planning and installation of “The Experience of Green” by Wade Kavanaugh & Stephen B. Nguyen (Striped Canary) and the 13th Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival
RESIDENCIES
2016 ICI Curatorial Intensive, Dar al-ma’mûn, Marrakesh, Morocco
Three-day seminar on curating & cultural translation. More information here
Tutors: Omar Berrada, Julian Myers-Szupinska, María del Carmen Carrión and Renaud Proch. Participants: Eszter Szakács and Mohammed El Shahid. ARTMargins conversation here
2015 ICI Curatorial Intensive, Dar al-ma’mûn, Marrakesh, Morocco
SAHA Scholarship for the week-long intensive with global participants. More here. Tutors: Bisi Silva, Reem Fadda, Shuddha Sengupta, Hassan Darsi & others
2014 Curator-in-Residence, A.i.R Dubai, UAE
Curated an Open Studio of new commissions, organized public talks, edited the residency publication in partnership with Delfina Foundation, Art Dubai, Tashkeel and Dubai Culture
Three-month residency providing curatorial support for the UAE-based and international resident artists Nadia Ayari, Sunoj D, Sara al Haddad, Miriam al Qassimi and Maitha Demithan. More here
2014 Participant, Campus Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
Six-month course for a select group of UAE-based artists, curators and cultural producers on “mediation’’ with lead tutor Tirdad Zolghadr and Murtaza Vali and Uzma Z. Rizvi
Collectively-authored publication available here
2025 Copyeditor, Moni, edited by Sezin Romi, Istanbul: SALT, upcoming spring 2025
2024 Editor, Bir Yer Var |There is a Place | HARA. Istanbul: Yapı Kredi Publishing (special edition)
Contributors: Sena Başöz, Canan Bozbağ, İnci Furni, Ekin Kano, Onur Hamilton Karaoğlu, İrem Nalça, Didem Yazıcı, Cansu Yıldıran. More here
2024 Translator, States of Earth (exhibition catalog) Istanbul: Yapı Kredi Publishing
Contributors: Burcu Çimen, Chus Martínez, Didem Yazıcı, Ezgi Hamzaçebi. More here
2023-24 Translator, In the Realm of Three Inland Seas: Handan Börüteçene, programmed by Amira Akbıyıkoğlu, Istanbul: SALT Beyoğlu
2022 Proofreader, Neslihan Başer, The Memorable | Zahmetsizce Hatırlatan (artist book), edited by Huo Rf. Istanbul
Contributors: Neslihan Başer, Aslı Işıksal, Yasemin Özcan, Istanbul. More here
2021-22 Consulting Editor, Protocinema, Istanbul and New York
Selected ProtoZines include: “Now That We Have Established a Common Ground” (2022) here; “Once Upon a Time Inconceivable” (2021) here and “A Few in Many Places” (2021) here as well as the Protocinema website, press releases, exhibition materials etc.
2021 Copyeditor, Ecological Manifestos for a Post-Pandemic World. Istanbul: Mekanda Adalet Derneği Available in English and Turkish here
2021 Copyeditor, Sarp Özer, “Technopolitical Cookbook” (Teknopolitik Yemek Kitabı). Arter Research Program 2019-2020, Edited by İz Öztat, Merve Ünsal, Istanbul: Arter
2020 Copyeditor, This may or may not be a true story or a lesson in resistance (exhibition-in-print), Amsterdam: De Appel
Curators: Thomas Butler, Sharmyn Cruz Rivera, Juan Fernando López, Iris Ferrer, Danai Giannoglou and Naz Kocadere. Artists: Simon Browne, Danilo Correale, Jason Dodge, nibia pastrana santiago and Dilek Winchester. More here
2020 Translator, Between Empires, Beyond Borders: The War and Armistice Year through the Eyes of the Köpe Family, Istanbul: SALT Beyoğlu
2019 Translator, Control Rooms: A self-critical introduction to Bager Akbay’s art practice and (fictitious) essays. Istanbul
Contributors: Bager Akbay, Mine Kaplangı, Ebru Yetişkin, Necmi Sönmez, Sarp Özer
2018 Editor, Elif Uras (monograph). Istanbul: Galerist & Kale
Major artist publication with essays and conversations exploring the critical feminist undertones of the artist’s practice as well as her use of ‘traditional’ techniques, patterning and ornamentation. Contributors: Kathy Battista, Amy Smith-Stewart, Ahu Antmen, Merve Ünsal. Published in Eng & Tur here
2018 Copyeditor, Bureau of Unspecified Services (B.U.S.), curated by Sohrab Mohebbi, SALT, Istanbul
Curatorial text and featured artist books including David Bernstein’s Obsessys & John Wu’s Learning Art & Art Learning Society as well as other art work texts
2014-16 Managing Editor, ArteEast Quarterly, Dubai and New York
Commissioned and worked closely with over thirty contributors developing a critical forum on contemporary artistic & cultural practices in MENA & beyond
Read “Freedom is a State of Mind” here; “An Arm of an Ocean or Sea; From Solid to Solidarity: Art and Architecture in New Cities” here; “Reframing Art and Culture in Contemporary Institutional Practices: The Case of Istanbul” here
2014 Editor, Campus Art Dubai: Served (limited edition), Dubai: Art Dubai
Also the contributor of “A 16th century festival, Ottoman style,” pp. 18-21. Available here
2010 Researcher, Prof. Annie Cohen-Solal, Leo and his Circle: The Life of Leo Castelli. New York: Knopf, 2010. About the book
2024 “From Depths to Lightness: Notes on Sena Başöz’s Inevitable Choreography,” Inevitable Choreography: Sena Başöz. Contributors: Ece Ateş, Carras Maria-Thalia and Sevil Tunaboylu. Istanbul: Zilberman Gallery, 2024. Exhibition catalog in English & Turkish available here
2021 “Waterway: On Sibel Horada’s New Works,” Interruption and Flow. Istanbul: Versus Art Project, 2021. Exhibition catalog in English & Turkish available here
2020 “Releasing the Old, Finding the New,” Protozine: A Few In Many Places, New York & Istanbul: Protocinema, 2020. Response on Stéphanie Saadé’s A Discreet Intruder available here
“Art, existence and mind games”, Waiting on a Scratch: Merve Ertufan, Istanbul: Depo, 2020. Exhibition text available here
2019 “Hand and Land,” Sinem Dişli: Hallows and Mounds (exhibition catalog) Edited by Ekin Can Göksoy, contributors: Ahmet A. Ersoy, Wendy M.K. Shaw, Christopher Lightfoot & Yasemin Elçi, Istanbul: Ara Güler Museum, 2019
2018 “Ask a Farmer When There is No need for an Accountant: Interview with Chris Evans,” SALT Blog, May 2018. Available here
2017 “Text and Space in Untitled (Bolaño),” Dominique Gonzales-Foerster: The Savage Detectives at the Cervantes Collection. (Exhibition publication ed. by Özge Ersoy, contributors: Kaya Genç et al.), Istanbul: collectorspace, 2017
2014-17 Contributor, Critics’ Picks, Artforum.com. Available here
2016 “Not New Now: Discussing the 6th Marrakech Biennale,” ARTMargins, Nov 2016. Available here
2015 ‘‘Are you listening? A Year of Sound Art in the UAE. Fari Bradley and Chris Weaver. (Exhibition catalog), Dubai: Tashkeel, 2015. Contributions by Arie Akkermans and Ed Baxter; Available here
“On Asia Art Archive: Ipek Ulusoy talks with Hammad Nasar,’’ The Exhibitionist (blog), Nov 30, 2015. Blog post here
2013 Artwork descriptions, Brigitte Kowanz’s Cut a Long Story Short, Istanbul: Borusan Contemporary, 2013. Exhibition brochure here
“Existentialism through the eyes of Sadik Kwaish Alfraji,” Godot to come yesterday, Jeddah: Ayyam Gallery, 2013. Available here
2025 Conversation with Gülşah Mursaloğlu, Sanatorium, Istanbul, February 2025
2024 HARA Publication Launch, Conversation with Huo Rf, HARA, Istanbul, October 2024
Conversation with Didem Yazıcı, Borderless, Yapı Kredi Culture and Art Publishing, May 2024
Conversation with Handan Börüteçene & Amira Akbıyıkoğlu, SALT Beyoğlu, Istanbul, March 2024. Full talk in Turkish here
Conversation with Sena Başöz,“Inevitable Choreography,” Zilberman Gallery, Istanbul, Feb 2024
2021 Conversation with Sibel Horada (online),“Interruption and Flow,” Versus Art Project, Istanbul
2020 Conversation with Merve Ertufan (online), “Waiting on a Scratch,” Depo, Istanbul, 2020. Full talk in Turkish here
2019 Conversation with Sinem Dişli and Prof. Ahmet A. Ersoy, “Sinem Dişli: Hallows and Mounds,” Ara Güler Museum, Istanbul
2018 Elif Uras Monograph Launch, Conversation with the artist, Galata Greek School, Istanbul
2017 Panelist, Southern Graphics Council’s annual conference, Altered Landscapes, Las Vegas
2016 Royal College of Art’s Curating Contemporary Art workshop for young curators, Meem Gallery, Dubai
2014 Conversation with Sunoj D & Nadia Ayari, Artists in Residence Dubai, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
2007 Gallery talks for adults during Genghis Khan and his Heirs, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Istanbul
2005 Facilitated school programs during Picasso in Istanbul, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Istanbul
PAST EXPERIENCES
2010-11 Cultural Programs Intern at The American Turkish Society (ATS), New York
Facilitated public programs including 12th NY Turkish Film Festival and edited the Society’s Annual Reports
2009-10 Education Intern, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Developed school programs materials for “Whitney Biennial” and “Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstraction”
2009 Program Coordinator at Dumbo Art Center (DAC), Brooklyn, Summer 2009
Coordinated the high school internship program during the 13th Dumbo Art Under the Bridge Festival
2005-07 Facilitator, art workshops at Pace Kids Art Center, Istanbul
Offsite programs at 10th Istanbul Biennial & Pera Museum
2006-07 Research Assistant for Prof. Ayşe Parla’s Cultural Studies courses Gender Theory and Introduction to Cultural Theory, Sabancı University, Istanbul
2006 Completed Art and Architecture of Historical Capitals (summer course), Boğaziçi University, Istanbul
2005 Intern, “9th International Istanbul Biennial - Istanbul”, IKSV, Summer 2005
LANGUAGES
Turkish (native), English (fluent) and German (beginner)
Photograph: Elif Kahveci