Cultural Agenda

“The Great Masters,” a traveling interactive exhibition that features the work of Renaissance masters Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael, will open on June 1 in the Tophane-i Amire cultural center in İstanbul’s Tophane, where it will remain on display until July 31.

The Notre Dame de Sion French High School in İstanbul is hosting an exhibition titled “Rousseau and Turkey -- Dreams and Theories” until June 2 to celebrate the 300th birthday of French writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

İstanbul’s Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) hosts “Where Darkness Meets Light: Rembrandt and His Contemporaries,” an exhibition that explores the Golden Age of Dutch Art, until June 10. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The Consulate General of Greece in İstanbul is hosting a photo exhibition titled “İstanbul through the lens of Achilles Samandji and Eugene Dalleggio” until June 20 in the Sismanoglio Megaro in Beyoğlu. Visiting hours: 3 p.m.-8 p.m. weekdays; 12 p.m.-7 p.m. weekends.

The Pera Museum presents “Goya: Witness of His Time,” a selection of engravings and paintings by the Spanish artist, till July 29. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The Cer Modern museum in Ankara is showing “The Art of Escher and His Contemporaries,” an exhibition featuring the work of 20th-century Dutch printmaker Maurits Cornelis Escher and printmakers artistically related to him, until Aug. 5. The museum is closed on Mondays.

An exhibition titled “İstanbul Eindhoven-SALTVanAbbe: 68-89,” presenting a selection of works created between 1968 and 1989 by artists from Turkey and the Netherlands, is on display until Aug. 26 at the contemporary art space SALT Beyoğlu in İstanbul. Online: http://saltonline.org/en

“Fifty Years of Urban Walls,” a retrospective of works by pioneering Turkish contemporary artist Burhan Doğançay, is on display at the İstanbul Modern until Sept. 23. The museum is closed on Mondays.

FESTIVALS

The 40th İstanbul International Music Festival will open on May 31 and continue until June 29 in a variety of venues across İstanbul, presenting 23 concerts and recitals by such acclaimed musicians as pianist Hélène Grimaud, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, the Ensemble Wien-Berlin and the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir. For a full program, see http://muzik.iksv.org/en.

The Documentarist İstanbul Documentary Days festival will mark its fifth edition from June 1-6 in İstanbul, featuring 90 documentaries from Turkey and abroad in screenings at the French Cultural Center, Akbank Art Center, SALT Galata and SALT Beyoğlu. For more information, see www.documentarist.org.

The 18th İstanbul International Theater Festival runs until June 5, presenting more than 100 performances by 45 theater and dance companies from six countries in 22 venues around the city. For detailed information and the full program, see http://tiyatro.iksv.org/en.

MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS

The İstanbul State Opera and Ballet will present the Turkish ballet “Hürrem Sultan” on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Süreyya Opera House in Kadıköy.

The İzmir State Opera will stage its new production of the G. F. Handel opera “Agrippina” on Thursday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the İzmir Opera House.

FILM PROGRAMS

The İstanbul Modern is presenting a film program called “Art After Dark” at its cinema from May 24 through June 3, exploring the reflections of street art in cinema. For the full program:  www.istanbulmodern.org

The Pera Museum presents a program of five works for the big screen in “Goya on Screen” through July 15 on the sidelines of its ongoing exhibition, “Goya: Witness of His Time.” For the full schedule, check http://en.peramuzesi.org.tr.