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.