Turkey’s tumultuous history is presented through an autobiographical lens by artist Gülsün Karamustafa in Berlin.“Chronographia” is a solo show by the contemporary artist at Hamburger Bahnhof.A key work is “The Monument and the Child” (2010). The artist presents a porcelain-figure and video installation including a photograph of herself, taken by her father in front of monumental sculptures in Güven Park in Ankara. The monuments were designed by an Austrian architect Anton Hanak and completed in 1935 by another Austrian sculptor, Joseph Thorak. The Berlin work signifies Karamustafa’s interest in the relationship between Turkish city’s landmarks and its inhabitants.Other works likewise draw on the artistic relationship between Turkey and Austria, pointing to the ever-changing dynamic between the West and the Middle East.“Modernity Unveiled” (2011, wood construction, photographs) is an installation resembling a construction site. An article accompanying the artwork details the history of Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky’s involvement in architectural work in modern Turkey. Originally from Vienna, Schütte-Lihotzky gained international fame as a designer of “The Frankfurt Kitchen” of 1926. Between 1938 and 1940, the architect worked for the Turkish Ministry for Education and designed plans for schools in Anatolian villages. The installation serves as a reminder of the female architect’s unacknowledged role in the history of modern Turkish design. Similarly, the whole show explores the complicated relationship between Turkey’s past and present, signified by its topography, monuments and design.“Chronographia” runs at Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstraße 50-51, 10557 Berlin from July 10 through October 23, 2016. For more information, see http://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/hamburger-bahnhof/home.html
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