hroughout his career, acclaimed and prolific photojournalist Ara Güler, Turkey’s most well-known photographer, took more than 800,000 photographs documenting Turkish culture and important historical sites. Opening Dec. 14 at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, “In Focus: Ara Güler’s Anatolia” reveals a selection of his never-before-shown works of Anatolian monuments, taking the viewer on a historical journey through the lens of one of the world’s most legendary photojournalists.
Running through May 4, 2014, the 24 works on view also challenge Güler’s definition of himself as a photojournalist, not an artist, and engage visitors in a critical debate about whether photography is an art form or a means of documentation.
“In Focus” was curated by students from the Johns Hopkins University’s Program in Museums and Society, under the supervision of Nancy Micklewright, the head of Scholarly Programs and Publications at the Freer and Sackler galleries. During the 2013 spring semester, the students worked with the archival collection to develop an exhibition proposal, along with labels, programming ideas and Web content.
For more information about the Sackler gallery visit www.asia.si.edu.
