Qatar Museums (QM), in collaboration with the Ara Güler Museum in Turkey, presents In the Footsteps of Ara Güler: Exploring the Photographer’s Legacy (9 August to 9 November 2024), an expansive survey of the work of world-renowned photographer and photojournalist Ara Güler (b. 1928, d. 2018). Presented at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), the exhibition captures not just the mastery of Güler's lens but also his profound dedication to portraying the essence of Turkey and its cultural heritage. 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 Turkey's history. With a career spanning 70 years, Güler’s work is a visual historical record of Turkey and beyond.
In the Footsteps of Ara Gülerr: Exploring the Photographer’s 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 Güler Archives and Research Center in Istanbul.
Organized in four sections, the exhibition begins with images of Istanbul, the city with which Güler became synonymous, and takes viewers along a cultural and historic journey featuring Turkey'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 the 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 Tapestryweaves 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 romanticized 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 Turkey 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.
In the Footsteps of Ara Gülerr: Exploring the Photographer’s Legacy is curated by Sheikha Maryam Al Thani and the Ara Güler Museum.
Commenting on the occasion, Sheika Maryam Al Thani, Exhibition Co-Curator, said “This exhibition represents a special collaboration between the Ara Güler Museum and archives and Qatar Museums. By bringing together Ara Güler's iconic photographs and ephemera with carefully curated objects from our extensive General Collection, we create a fascinating dialogue that offers fresh perspectives on both Güler's work and our own holdings. This partnership not only enables us to share knowledge and resources but also to shed new light on a historic photographer's oeuvre while highlighting the depth and diversity of Qatar Museums' collections, which comprise over 300,000 objects. Through this exhibition, we invite visitors to explore the stories woven by these two remarkable collections, offering a testament to the enduring power of photography and its ability to bridge cultures and eras.”
Çağla Saraç, Doğuş Group Art Advisor, added, “As the Ara Güler Museum, the first museum in Turkey dedicated to a photographer of this stature, our mission is to share the work of internationally renowned photojournalist Ara Güler with the widest possible audience while also passing on his legacy to future generations. We are very excited to open the museum's first exhibition in Qatar in collaboration with Qatar Museums, featuring an expansive array of Ara Güler’s work and ephemera from our archives. It is our privilege to show photographs reflecting various notable themes within Güler’s archives and to present his multidisciplinary artistic identity to both existing and new audiences alike.”
The Ara Güler Archives and Research Center and the Ara Güler Museum were founded by Doğuş Group.
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About Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves and expands the nation’s cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the development of museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, and Design Doha. Future projects include Dadu: Children’s Museum of Qatar, Art Mill Museum, Qatar Auto Museum and the Lusail Museum.
Through its newly created Creative Hub, QM also initiates and supports projects—such as the Fire Station Artist in Residence, the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival, M7, the creative hub for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs —that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure.
Animating everything that Qatar Museums does is an authentic connection to Qatar and its heritage, a steadfast commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and a belief in creating value through invention. For more information visit https://qm.org.qa
About Museum of Islamic Art
Founded in 2008, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) was one of the first projects initiated by QM. Designed by the renowned Chinese American architect I. M. Pei, the MIA is a globally acclaimed museum that stands majestically on Doha’s Corniche, with panoramic views of the city’s waterfront. The museum showcases Qatar’s world-class collections of Islamic art spanning some 1,300 years. Representing the full scope of Islamic art from the 7th to the 21st centuries, the MIA collection includes manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, glass, ivory, textiles, carpets, wood, and jewellery. The works have been collected from three continents, including countries across the Middle East, and reaching as far as Spain and China. MIA presents a changing programme of exhibitions illustrating the heritage of the Islamic world, as well as extensive educational activities for school children and families, making the museum a vital part of the community. The MIA has become a popular museum in the region and internationally, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Shaika Nasser Al-Nassr serves as director.
About Ara Güler Museum
The Ara Güler Museum was established as a result of a partnership between Ara Güler, one of Turkey’s preeminent photojournalists and photographers, and Doğuş Group. The museum in bomontiada opened with Ara Güler’s participation on August 16, 2018, his 90th birthday. The mission of the Ara Güler Museum is to share Ara Güler’s versatile artistic identity, inspiring life and esteemed archives with the widest possible audience. The museum aims to highlight and promote the visual, emotional and social impacts of the art of photography through local and international exhibitions, publications, events and collaborations. Ara Güler Museum was recognized as an official private museum by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2022. The Ara Güler Museum is a member of the International Council of Museums.
For more information visit: www.aragulermuzesi.com
Instagram: @aragulermuzesi
About Ara Güler Archives and Research Center
The mission of the Ara Güler Archives and Research Center, which was established in 2016 as a result of a partnership between Ara Güler and Doğuş Group, is to preserve Ara Güler’s archives in the structure in which they were created during his lifetime, and to pass on Ara Güler’s legacy to future generations. The Center began its archival preservation activities in 2017 at the Güler Apartment in Galatasaray, the very location for which many years housed the archives of Ara Güler, one of 20th Century’s most important visual recorders. The Ara Güler Archives and Research Center, which was subsequently established in Bomontiada, was designed with the specific needs of the archive itself and in accordance with universal museology and archival standards. In addition to Ara Güler’s photographic archive, a visual reflection of the history of Turkey, the Ara Güler Archives and Research Center collection comprises of Ara Güler’s cameras, darkroom equipment, books, diaries, correspondence, letters, personal items and art collection. The Archives and Research Center conducts the digitization, indexing, classification, conservation and restoration of the archives. The Center is continuing its efforts to make the archives accessible through an online portal. The Ara Güler Archives and Research Center was awarded the Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism Special Prize in 2018.
About Doğuş Group
The Doğuş Group, founded in 1951, sets standards for a better living by being at the forefront of discoveries that shape modern life. Doğuş, which aspires to be a global house of best-in-class lifestyle brands that create aspiration, not only for customers but also employees, partners and even competitors, continues to work in all its fields of operation with the aim of becoming a global player. The Doğuş Group, active in seven core businesses including automotive, construction, media, tourism and services, real estate, energy, and food & beverage, sustains its growth with new investments in the areas of technology, sports, and entertainment along with its current operations. With over 300 companies and more than 25,000 employees, the Group serves its customers with advanced technologies, highest brand quality and a dynamic human resource. The Doğuş Group’s management approach also embodies a strong corporate citizenship awareness that the whole society does and will benefit. In launching social responsibility projects, the Group always aims to leave a mark on people’s lives and make it much better. The Group’s social responsibility projects are managed with the objective of helping society to create a progressive future, a modern lifestyle.
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PRESS CONTACTS:
Lamis Nassar
lnassar@qm.org.qa
+974 4402 5418