modellerden

Modellerden is a Turkish-based art and design collective and publishing platform established in Istanbul in 2018. The name, Turkish for “from the models” (modellerden: modeller + -den), signals a focus on sources of representation across sculpture, fashion, and digital media. The organization aims to explore how models, whether human, virtual, or mechanical, inform contemporary practices in art and design, and fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Origins trace to a group of artists, curators, and researchers who organized exhibitions and a small zine before expanding to an online journal and international collaborations. The collective publishes Modellerden Review, an open-access periodical featuring essays, interviews, and portfolios by practitioners around modeling, figuration, and simulacra.

In addition to publishing, Modellerden organizes exhibitions, residency programs, workshops, and talks that connect museums, galleries, and universities. It maintains a public archive of artists' projects and a library focusing on sculpture, fashion, performance, and digital avatars.

Modellerden operates as a cooperative with a rotating editorial board, member-based governance, and volunteer contributors. Funding comes from grants, collaborations, and reader memberships.

Scholarly and cultural critics note Modellerden as part of a broader discourse on model-based production in art and media. Its projects have been cited in discussions on posthuman visibility, materiality, and digital representation, contributing to debates about sources and sovereignty in image-making.