Artist: Isabelle Prim
France, 50’, 2014
French with Turkish subtitles
What could Méliès’ first colourised film, a fire at the Grand Bazar de la Charité and the opening night of Cyrano de Bergerac have in common? Who really wrote Edmond Rostand’s play? Is it all related somehow to the death of Italian anarchist and prompter Ildebrando Biribo, found dead in his prompt box on the night of the first performance, on 28 December 1897? The plot is labyrinthine, or rather, subterranean. Indeed, the camera takes us through tunnels, cellars, sewers, and secret passages that are reminiscent of both the prompter’s hideout and the twists and turns of a case which easily bears comparison with the best 19th century serials, not least Les Mystères de Paris (The Mysteries of Paris). To guide us, there is a prompter, one of those who cue actors up above from below; here, it’s dramatist Edmond Rostand himself, who is out of ideas for plays, and tormented by actress Sarah Bernhardt, played by Clotilde Hesme. Except that this prompter, at once a character in the film and a strange lecturer who recreates the case for us, isn’t hiding himself in the least. On the contrary, he literally invites himself in the film and speaks directly to us and to the characters turned actors, while relating the events that led to his death, which has never been solved. So, does the mystery remain unexplained? Maybe not. Because the prompter’s death marks perhaps the beginning of modernity. Is the file closed, then? No, because Isabelle Prim proves with this film that the inspiration lives on. (Céline Guenot)
The exhibition Look at Me! Portraits and Other Fictions from the ”la Caixa” Contemporary Art Collection examines portraiture, one of the oldest artistic genres, through a significant number of works of our times. Through the exhibition we will be sharing about the artists and sections in “Look At Me!”.
Pera Museum, in collaboration with Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is one of the main venues for this year’s 15th Istanbul Biennial from 16 September to 12 November 2017. Through the biennial, we will be sharing detailed information about the artists and the artworks.
In the 60s, Alberto Giacometti paid homage to Paris, the city where he lived, by drawing its streets, cafés, and more private places like his studio and the apartment of his wife, Annette. These drawings would make up his last book, Paris sans fin (Paris Without End).
Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 - 19:00
Friday 10:00 - 22:00
Sunday 12:00 - 18:00
The museum is closed on Mondays.
On Wednesdays, the students can
visit the museum free of admission.
Full ticket: 200 TL
Discounted: 100 TL
Groups: 150 TL (minimum 10 people)
