Area Daily: Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul has been a cultural treasure and choice destination for over 1,600 years. Now with a population of over 11 million and an infusion of new art and design, this crossroads of east and west is turning into a cultural capital in its own right.

For a real glimpse of the modern side of the city, check out Turkey's first museum of contemporary art – the Istanbul Modern. This renovated 86,000 square foot former government customs warehouse right on the Bosphorus (similar to the industrial aesthetic of the Tate Modern in London) has a permanent collection of abstract paintings, portraits, sculptures and photographs; ongoing exhibits; and a swank waterside café packed with locals doing lunch that is almost worth a visit by itself!

Right now check out “Love & Politics, in a minor key”, a video program of the work of four artists, Alessandro Pessoli, Hiraki Sawa, Boyd Webb and Saskia Olde Wolbers, whose work deals with love or politics. Running through March 23.