Two New Publications Accompany Temporary Exhibitions at Pera Museum

Two New Publications Accompany Temporary Exhibitions at Pera Museum

The publication accompanying "Much Is to Be Done" opens a window into the creative world of Samih Rifat, a prominent cultural figure known for his photographs, translations, documentaries, and writings. 

Framing his multidisciplinary output as an “artistic and intellectual act,” the book includes an extensive essay by Serhan Ada titled “Much is to be done, alas, time!”, setting the tone for the volume. Esra Özdoğan broadly analyses Rifat’s photographic work in her text “Samih Rifat: Before the Death of the Author”. Enis Batur examines Rifat’s poetry in “Bard of Overlooked Poems”, while Celal Üster reflects on his legacy as a translator in “In Pursuit of Lost Beauties”. The publication also features a collective interview titled “Talking About Samih Rifat”, with contributions from his close friends Orçun Türkay, Necmi Sönmez, Hüsrev İsfendiyaroğlu, and Nevzat Sayın. 

Meanwhile, the publication accompanying Dancing with the Moon offers a closer look at the lyrical, whimsical, and politically engaged world of Canadian-born, New York-based artist Marcel Dzama. 

Curator Alistair Hicks contributes a key essay titled “Bughouse Chess: Bughouse Truth”, which explores Dzama’s visual language and sources of inspiration. The book also includes an in-depth interview conducted by Ulya Soley in Dzama’s Brooklyn studio, enriched by photographs by Civan Özkanoğlu. Additionally, Ezgi Bakçay critically reads Dzama’s work in her text “I Dreamed I Woke Up”, drawing connections with art history and cultural theory. 

Together, these two publications do more than document the exhibitions—they offer readers and viewers a broader intellectual and cultural context through which to understand Samih Rifat and Marcel Dzama's distinctive artistic practices.

Suna’nın Kızları Holds Its Ninth Major Community Gathering
Suna’nın Kızları Holds Its Ninth Major Community Gathering
Suna'nın Kızları

Suna’nın Kızları Holds Its Ninth Major Community Gathering

At the 9th Major Community Gathering, the Suna’nın Kızları communities came together to review the past year’s outcomes and align on project plans for 2026. Participants explored new ideas and collaboration opportunities on how the model and programs co-developed with 33 civil society organizations over the past four years can further support and reinforce one another.

Guided Exhibition Tours for The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect at the Istanbul Research Institute
Guided Exhibition Tours for The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect at the Istanbul Research Institute
Istanbul Research Institute

Guided Exhibition Tours for The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect at the Istanbul Research Institute

The Istanbul Research Institute continues to offer free guided tours of the exhibition The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect: Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu 1893–1982, which sheds light on the life of one of the most unconventional architects of his time, spanning the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.

Pera Museum's New Collection Exhibition Catalogue
Pera Museum's New Collection Exhibition Catalogue
Pera Museum

Pera Museum's New Collection Exhibition Catalogue

The catalogue Extraordinary Minas: The Story of Inspiration and Innovation in Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics examines the efforts of Kütahya masters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to revive the disappearing craftsmanship of tile-making by focusing on a master and a group of his work, by presenting objects from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection.