Souvenirs of the Future Exhibition Tour

Curator's Tour

February 15, 2024 / 18:00

Could the future be remembered through the familiar objects collected in the past? Could these objects act as a means to shape the memories of the future that will come as fragments—a means to shape, understand, and preserve the past? Souvenirs of the Future, which sets forth from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection, explores the ties forged between memory and imagination through contemporary works while focusing on that which is remembered with the help of objects. The cultural and symbolic value and meaning of objects that have been acquired or collected as souvenirs, as a reminder of a certain place and time, interweave the memory of the region with personal journeys.

The exhibition presents a future-oriented perspective of the archive while aiming to understand the future through commissioned contemporary works inspired by the collection. Yet instead of a nostalgic devotion to the past, it proposes contemplating how we will remember the future. In this exhibition curated by Ulya Soley and organized in memory of Suna Kıraç, who created the Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection, a selection from the collection that inspired the contemporary works accompanies each corresponding section. As part of the exhibition, a restricted number of participants will be offered the opportunity to take a tour of the exhibition, led by curator Ulya Soley's informative commentary.

The guided tour fee: 100 TL (Free for Friends of Pera Museum)

The guided tour language is Turkish. The capacity is limited. To join the tour, you can buy tickets from Biletix or make a reservation via resepsiyon@peramuzesi.org.tr

Temporary Exhibition

Souvenirs of the Future

The exhibition focuses on the memories recalled through objects whilst exploring the connections between memory and future imaginings through a contemporary lens. The cultural and symbolic value and significance of objects taken as souvenirs, those that remind us of a certain place and time, or those that are collected, weave together personal journeys and the memory of the region. Instead of a nostalgic attachment to the past, it proposes contemplating how the future will be remembered and focuses on memory's future-oriented functions.

Souvenirs of the Future

Félix Ziem (1821-1911) A nomadic, unclassifiable, and eccentric artist

Félix Ziem (1821-1911) A nomadic, unclassifiable, and eccentric artist

French artist Félix Ziem is one of the most original landscape painters of the 19thcentury. The exhibition Wanderer on the Sea of Light presents Ziem as an artist who left his mark on 19th century painting and who is mostly known for his paintings of Istanbul and Venice, where the city and the sea are intertwined. 

Niko Pirosmani

Niko Pirosmani

“A nameless Egyptian fresco, an African idol or a vase from Crete: we should behold Pirosmani’s art among them. Only this way it is possible to conceive it genuinely … …You see Pirosmani – you believe in Georgia”.
Grigol Robakidze

Today's Stories: Coal <br>Pelin Buzluk

Today's Stories: Coal
Pelin Buzluk

Inspired by the exhibition Istanbuls Today, Today's Stories series starts with Pelin Buzluk's story "Coal"! TThis series gathers short stories written by authors encouraged by the photographs in the exhibition.