Ambassador of Turkiye to Qatar H E Dr. Mustafa Göksu (eighth right); CEO of Qatar Museums, Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi (ninth right); and others at the opening of the exhibition at MIA yesterday.
Doha: Qatar Museums (QM) opened a photo exhibition ‘In the Footsteps of Ara Güler: Exploring the Photographer’s Legacy’ at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
The exhibition is an expansive survey of the work of world-renowned photographer and photojournalist Ara Güler. The exhibition captures not just the mastery of Güler’s lens but also his profound dedication to portraying the essence of Turkiye and its cultural heritage.
Being held in collaboration with the Ara Güler Museum in Turkiye, the exhibition will run till November 9, 2024.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by CEO of Qatar Museums, Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi and Ambassador of Turkiye to Qatar H E Dr. Mustafa Göksu.
Curated by Sheikha Maryam Al Thani and the Ara Güler Museum, the exhibition showcases the mastery of Güler’s work, providing a deep dive into the stories behind each photograph, and offering a comprehensive overview of his legacy.
Organised into four sections, the exhibition begins with Güler’s evocative images of Istanbul, then explores Turkiye’s archaeological heritage sites. It continues with portraits of notable 20th-century figures and concludes with his experimental film work, Hero’s End.
Through Güler’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, Güler 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, Güler’s work is a visual historical record of Turkiye and beyond.
The exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the artist’s work, depicting Istanbul’s inhabitants and revealing historical landmarks, immortalising both through his inquisitive eye. It features 155 photographs alongside correspondence, photographic equipment, cameras, and other memorabilia from the Ara Güler Archives and Research Centre in Istanbul.
The exhibition begins with images of Istanbul, the city with which Güler 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 Ara Güler’s celebrated photographs taken along his favourite paths in Istanbul, shown together with historic prints from Qatar Museums’ General Collection. Against the backdrop of sacred monuments and urban architectural splendour, Güler 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 Ara Güler’s intimate portraits of Istanbul with objects from Qatar Museums’ renowned General Collection.
Visitors will encounter 19th-century stereoscopes and albumen prints by pioneering photographers such as the Gülmez Frères, 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 Güler’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 Güler’s love for history and documentation. Güler’s 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 Dağ, now both inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. Presented with these two photo-reportages, which are considered two of Güler’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.
“In Good Company” focuses on Güler’s portraits of leading writers, artists, politicians, philosophers, and other notable figures of his time, many of whom Güler 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 Dalí; 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 Ara Güler. The film tells the story of the dismantling of Yavuz, a historical warship that played a vital role in the Ottoman Empire’s entry into the First World War (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 photographer’s own documentary footage, which partially involves staged actors.