Ara Güler’s photos in Tehran exhibition

ISTANBUL

A selection of photos taken by legendary Turkish-Armenian photographer Ara Güler, who died in October last year, will be in an exhibition on display in the Iranian capital of Tehran. 

The exhibition “Memoir of Lost History,” featuring over 160 photographs that Güler took during his 60 years of lifetime work, will open today at the Nabshi Center, one of the leading art hubs in the city, according to a statement by the event organizer. 

Curated by Patrice Vallette, the exhibit will be held as part of an international exhibition project “Ara Guler Universal” launched at Güler’s wish in February 2016. 

In the event, Güler’s videos shot at his cafe “Ara” on Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue as well as interviews and videos narrating his life will be showcased, Visioncy, a Malaysia-based cultural agency, said in the statement. 

Letters sent to Güler and a copy of picture drawn by Pablo Picasso for him as well as his special artifacts such as cameras and medals will also be exhibited. 

Visitors can also have an opportunity to watch a documentary film, directed by the Turkish photographer and producer Coşkun Aral, on the exclusive biopic of Güler.

The exhibition will run through March 15.
Guler associated with Visioncy in February 2016, giving the agency access to his personal archive.
Dubbed “Eye of Istanbul,” Güler rose to fame with his black-and-white portraits of the city. He did photo interviews with many well-known figures such as British politician Winston Churchill, British philosopher Bertrand Russell, ex-Indian premier Indira Gandhi, Spanish painters Salvador Dali and Picasso, and U.K.-born film director Alfred Hitchcock. 

Turkey’s Photographer of the Century in 1999, France’s Légion d’Honneur, the Lifetime Achievement Lucie Award in 2009, and the Nuremberg Honorary Award in 2017 were among the awards and prizes that he received. 

Güler was 90 when he died of kidney failure in Istanbul last October.