Representation, Identity, Memory in Ottoman Family

Dismantling the Archive: Representation, Identity, Memory in an Ottoman Family follows the idea that the story of a life is like an archive, a mass of constructed and filtered events that are unconnected to one another, random, irrational. It focuses on the years 1900-1940 of the Said Bey Archive, donated by Hatice Gonnet Bağana to SALT Research, encompassing three generations from the late Ottoman period up through the early years of the Republic of Turkey.

Teaser, saltonline, 2014

Said Bey visited Berlin in 1911, as part of the Ottoman Studies Commission. In letters written to his wife Adviye Hanım, he described his journey, the hotel he stayed at and the city. Based on these letters, five references to Said Bey’s experience in Berlin were illustrated by Sait Mingü and and animated by Boran Güney. The animation also takes inspiration from the German film “Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis”. Directed by Walter Ruttman, this film portrays the city life and built environment of Berlin in 1927, before much of the city was destroyed during World War II.

Teaser, saltonline, 2014

“Dismantling the Archive” is on view at SALT Galata, Istanbul, until March 23.