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.
As part of the Chamber Talks programme by the Istanbul Research Institute, the talk titled The Cultivated Eye: From Arif Hikmet’s Lens to Architectural Practice brought together M. Baha Tanman and Müjde Dila Gümüş to examine Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu’s photography archive and architectural work, offering new perspectives on the exhibition The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect.
Pera Museum is hosting guided tours for Feelings in Common, led by curator Ulya Soley. The Guided Exhibition Tour with Curator will take place at Pera Museum on December 24, 2025 at 18:00 and December 27, 2025 at 15:00. The tour will be conducted in Turkish. Capacity is limited; tickets are available via Biletix or at the Pera Museum reception desk on the day of the event.
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.