A new photography exhibition on Feruz Ertürer has opened at the Bulgur Palace (also known as Bolulu Habib Bey Mansion), a distinct 20th-century building, built by architect Alessandro Valeri in 1912 in the historic Fatih district (writes İpek Kozanoğlu). Curated by Murat Gür and organised by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality of Culture and Heritage, the exhibition presents photographs that give a glimpse of Istanbul of the 1950s: circus scenes, bustling streets, street vendors, celebrations, kids running around in street, fishing by the lake, all accumulated through the 75 years that make up Ertürer’s illustrious career.
Born into the family business of photography in Adapazarı, Ertürer became passionate about the medium through his father in the 1950s. From an early age, Ertürer experimented in the dark room in their house which shaped his technical foundation of the medium. He later studied at art school, mastering the techniques of painting. While working as a painter, Ertürer developed a keen eye and sharp observational skills. His ability in capturing the rhythm and light of the city earned him a prize by Life Magazine. As the vocation passed down to his brother Mümtaz, together they established 2 photography collectives: “Group 5” and “Group 2”.
Drawing on over 500 photographs by the artist, the exhibition presents a retrospective of the artist’s career, reflecting his artistic life and journey as well as the socio-economic and cultural background of Turkey over the years. The exhibition unfolds across two floors. The first floor pulls the curtain back on the artist behind the lens, presenting his dark room equipments, original negatives and photos from family albums giving a sense of the artist’s personal life. Consisting of over 70 photographs, the second floor divides the works thematically with snapshots ranging from views of Adapazarı and İstanbul, scenes of children, street vendors as well as abstract works taken with Lubitel camera. Alongside a documentary regarding the photographer, this floor also brings together various pieces written by other famous Turkish photographers as Coşkun Aral, İzzet Keribar and İbrahim Zaman on the artist. The second floor presents 70 photographs taken with Lubitel.
