"An Unusual Friendship" Exhibition by Mine Konakçı at BAUART Gallery

On the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign, BAUART Gallery hosts an exhibition that will be much talked about. Mine Konakçı's exhibition An Unusual Friendship / Remembering Gallipoli can be visited until 24 May.

Mine Konakçı's exhibition titled AN UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP, opening at BAUART Gallery, is not merely the result of long-term research in photography:

"When I began researching the Gallipoli Campaign, which lasted more than eight months, I was surprised to discover that there were incidents such as the exchange of cigarettes, matches and chocolate between the Anzacs and the Turkish side, and that under the harsh conditions that caused shared suffering, both a unique friendship and mutual respect had emerged," says the artist.

With this project, Mine Konakçı draws a direct line from the Gallipoli Campaign to the present day. She photographs portraits of the descendants of the combatants on both sides in their everyday living spaces and also projects black-and-white portraits of the combatants into the space. In this way, the artist reveals that the past is always part of the present and that, ultimately, we all bear responsibility for a peaceful world.

The countries that faced each other in the Gallipoli Campaign have long been in partnership and friendship. Moreover, as the artist reveals, we see that those who were soldiers at the time were not in constant hostility. In this exhibition, Mine Konakçı reunites them in AN UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP.

The exhibition features 20 large-format photographs (fine art prints) and a slideshow containing both detailed information about the portrait subjects and original quotations.

Who Is Mine Konakçı?

Mine Konakçı was born in Istanbul in 1967 and studied Graphic Design at Mimar Sinan University. After completing her university education in 1991, she moved to Australia to work as a graphic designer and photographer. After completing her master's degree in documentary photography at Sydney College of Arts with distinction, she was a finalist in a number of art awards. Her photographic work focuses primarily on long-term projects. Mine Konakçı lives in Sydney, Australia, where she continues her work.

BAUART Gallery

8 April – 24 May 2015 

BAU Galata Campus

Floor 4

Kemeraltı Caddesi 24

Istanbul – Karaköy

bauart@bahcesehir.edu.tr

Phone: +90 212 381 59 50 

Opening hours

Daily: 10:00 - 20:00

Exhibition Opening: 8 April, 18:30