QM set to organise 'In Footsteps of Ara Guler: Exploring Photographers Legacy' exhibition at MIA

Qatar Museums (QM), in collaboration with the Ara Guler Museum in Turkiye, will present “In the Footsteps of Ara Guler: Exploring the Photographers Legacy”, an expansive survey of the work of the world-renowned photographer and photojournalist (b. 1928, d. 2018), from August 9 to November 9.

Presented at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), the exhibition captures the mastery of Guler's lens, along with his profound dedication to portraying the essence of Turkiye and its cultural heritage.

Through Guler’s iconic images of Istanbul, archaeological findings, and insightful portraits of global figures, visitors will experience firsthand his deep influence on photography and his dedication to preserving shared cultural memory.

Born in Istanbul in 1928, Guler is widely celebrated both nationally and internationally as a master of photojournalism and the art of photography.

Having lived until the age of 90, he bore witness to almost the entirety of modern Turkiye's history.

With a career spanning 70 years, Guler’s work is a visual historical record of Turkiye and beyond.

“In the Footsteps of Ara Guler: Exploring the Photographers Legacy” offers a comprehensive overview of the artist’s work depicting Istanbul's inhabitants and revealing historical landmarks, immortalising both through his inquisitive eye.

The exhibition features 155 photographs alongside correspondence, photographic equipment, cameras, and other memorabilia from the Ara Guler Archives and Research Centre in Istanbul.

Organised in four sections, the exhibition begins with images of Istanbul, the city with which Guler became synonymous, and takes viewers along a cultural and historic journey featuring Turkiye's rich archaeological heritage sites and portraits of the 20th century's most recognisable figures.

The exhibition concludes with a lesser-known side of the artist, presenting his experimental film, *Hero's End.

The introductory section, titled “Eternal Tapestry”, showcases Guler's celebrated photographs taken along his favourite paths in Istanbul, shown together with historic prints from the QM's General Collection.

Against the backdrop of sacred monuments and urban architectural splendor, Guler presents a portrait of a city in perpetual movement, its sounds and scents extending beyond the borders of his frames.

Bridging centuries and perspectives, “Eternal Tapestry” weaves together Guler's intimate portraits of Istanbul with objects from the QM's renowned General Collection.

Visitors will encounter 19th-century stereoscopes and albumen prints by pioneering photographers such as the Gulmez Freres, three brothers whose Istanbul studio captured the city's allure for Western audiences through early images circulated as souvenir books and postcards.

These romanticised views of Constantinople are presented alongside Guler's intimate portrayal of Istanbul, highlighting the city's evolving representation and photography's power to bridge cultures.

This section reveals Istanbul's timeless role as a crossroads of East and West, inviting viewers to explore the city through multiple lenses across time.

The subsequent section, titled “Echoes from the Past”, highlights Guler's love for history and documentation.

His dedication and personal interest in archaeology produced some of his most significant photo-reportages, including the “rediscovery” of Aphrodisias in the late 1950s, as well as Nemrut Da, now both inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Presented with these two photo-reportages, which are considered two of Guler’s most important, are his photographs of other historical sites within Turkiye ranging from the Neolithic Age to Ottoman landmarks.

The visual narratives and poetic imagery within this section highlight the role of photography in raising awareness for preserving the legacy of the past.

“Good Company” focuses on Guler’s portraits of leading writers, artists, politicians, philosophers, and other notable figures of his time, many of whom Guler befriended throughout his life.

Highlights include a handmade book maquette titled *Seven Landmarks of the World, a compilation of his portraits of seven figures, including Pablo Picasso, Tennessee Williams, and Salvador Dal; and exclusive to this exhibition his portrait of Fahrelnissa Zeid, paired with drawings by the artist, from the collection of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.

The exhibition concludes with the screening of *Hero’s End (1973-1975), a film directed, written and produced by Guler.

The film tells the story of the dismantling of Yavuz, a historical warship that played a vital role in the Ottoman Empires entry into World War I (1914-1918).

A cinematic collage mixing diverse sources and visual approaches with an unconventional soundtrack, the movie includes compositions by the renowned folk musician Ruhi Su as well as historical drawings and photos, and the photographers own documentary footage, which partially involves staged actors.

“In the Footsteps of Ara Guler: Exploring the Photographers Legacy” is curated by Sheikha Maryam al-Thani and the Ara Guler Museum.

Sheikha Maryam said that the exhibition represents a special collaboration between the Ara Guler Museum and the QM.

By bringing together Ara Guler's iconic photographs and ephemera with carefully curated objects from the QM's extensive General Collection, the QM creates a fascinating dialogue that offers fresh perspectives on both Guler's work and the QM's own holdings.

This partnership not only enables the QM to share knowledge and resources but also to shed new light on a historic photographer's oeuvre while highlighting the depth and diversity of the QM's collections, which comprise over 300,000 objects.

Group Art Adviser Cagla Sarac said that she is very excited to open the Ara Guler Museum’s first exhibition in Qatar in collaboration with the QM. – QNA