The Qatar Turkey 2015: Year of Culture has launched its photographic exchange by welcoming two Turkish photographers in Qatar. Later in the month, two Qatari photographers will begin their expedition in Turkey to photograph its landscapes and people.
The aim of the exchange programme is to capture the essence of Qatar through Turkish eyes and the essence of Turkey through Qatari eyes. In fall 2015, their journeys will be showcased in an exhibition in Qatar.
The photographic exchange is organised in collaboration with the Qatar Photographic Society (QPS) and the Ministries of Culture from Qatar and Turkey, and with the support of platinum sponsor ExxonMobil Qatar, Hospitality Sponsor W Doha Hotel and Official Airline Qatar Airways.
The Turkish photographers are Prof Ali Muhammet Bayraktaroglu and Hasan Yelken. A graduate from Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Fine Arts, postgraduate from Savannah College of Art and Design (MFA degree on photography), and doctorate from Ankara University, Bayraktaroglu still works as an academic and faculty dean. His work mainly focuses on alternative photography techniques and social documentary.
Yelken, a dentist, was inspired by his travels to take up photography. In 1995, he became a member of the Gaziantep Association of Art Photography where he went on to become chairman of the board of directors from 1998 to 2006. He taught Basic Photography in Gaziantep University and has a book on “Flowers of Gaziantep”. He is a member of the publication board for an arts and culture magazine called “Ay?ntap” published in Gaziantep where he also writes travel articles.
Since becoming a photographer, Hasan has become more environmentally- conscious. He believes that photographers should be a witness to change in our rapidly changing society and should document the world around them.
Bayraktaroglu and Yelken will embark on their journey of discovery by touring Doha: from Old Doha and Souq Waqif to walking along the Doha Corniche where they will appreciate the Doha city skyline and the Museum of Islamic Art. In the following days, they will be heading to Al Shamal in the north to visit Al Zubarah fort and the archaeological site – Qatar’s first on Unesco World Heritage List - one of the largest and best preserved examples of an 18th-19th century Gulf merchant town.
The team will also visit Zikreet to see the Richard Serra installation “East West – West east”. The Turkish duo are also to go dune-bashing to Khor Al Udaid.
Later in the month, two Qatari photographers will start their exploration of Turkey, from the cities of Istanbul and Ankara to remote Anatolian villages. They will have the opportunity to learn more about the Turkish people and capture in images their rich culture and history.
Safiya al-Hajari, director of the Office of Strategic Cultural Relations in Qatar Museums said the aim for such a cultural exchange is to capture both Turkish and Qatari cultural identities through the artistic expression of photographers.
Prof Ali Bayraktaroglu and Hasan Yelken
