On Wednesday, 20 November 2019, the Consulate General of Greece in Istanbul in collaboration with the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi and the newspaper “O Politis” presented the personal exhibition of Ali Oz, under the title “Tarlabasi: The lost neighbourhood of the Rums”.
The exhibition opened at the Sismanoglio Megaro, at 18:30 on Wednesday, 20 November 2019.
The event was honoured by His All-Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and addressed by the Chairman of the Commission of the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi, Mr. Giorgos Papaliaris
The exhibition, hosted at the Sismanoglio Megaro from 12 to 21 November 2019, was open Monday-Friday, 15:00-20:00.
It was then transferred to the “Panagias Isodion” Greek Orthodox Church Community Premises from 22 November to 6 December, with the same opening times.
About the exhibition
Tarlabasi, a favourite district of the Rums, fell into decline after the events of 1964 and the forced flight of its Greek-Rum residents. The deterioration of the area profile, the expropriation of entire building blocks for the widening of Tarlabasi avenue and the subsequent irregulated reconstruction radically changed the district image.
This new image of Tarlabasi has been captured in the photographs of Ali Öz, who started visiting the area after 2010, when its decline had been complete.
In the context of his project, with a sense of respect for the efforts of the Greek Orthodox Community of Stavrodromi for the revival of the area, he also photographed Rums’ landmarks, which had been restored and are currently used.
The preservation and redevelopment of an area, whilst respecting its history, can only have a positive outcome for Istanbul and its culture.
The exhibition had been previously unveiled in Athens, at the Museum of the City of Athens Vouros - Eutaxias, running from May to August 2019.
About the artist
Ali Oz’s involvement with photography started in 1979. He is a graduate of the Higher School of Political Sciences, Mass Media and Journalism.
He does not talk much. Whatever he wants to say, his anger, his pain, his joy, he expresses it through his photographs and slides. To him, photography is the fastest means of communication.
Some years ago, in an interview he pointed out the following: “Man can endure starvation, but not the lack of love, reason and a sense of purpose. I believe that photography as an art expresses my love for man”.
In addition to “political reporting”, as he calls his field of expertise, he has participated in many foreign delegations outside Turkey. He has participated in many exhibitions and has worked in slideshows in Turkey and abroad, receiving countless prizes and awards.
He has worked for various magazines and newspapers, such as Nokta, Gunes, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, Aktuel, Tempo, NTV, MAG, Birgun. He works as a freelance photojournalist to date.
Information:
General Consulate of Greece in Istanbul
Turnacibasi Street 22, 34433 Istanbul, Turkey | Phone:+ 90 (0) 212 393 8290
Website: www.mfa.gr/istanbul
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sismanogliomegaro
