Pera Museum exhibitions focus on Byzantine

Pera Museum and the Istanbul Research Institute are presenting two exhibitions simultaneously with the sole focus on Byzantine.

The first one, which focuses on Byzantine artifacts in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, is "From Istanbul to Byzantium: Paths to Rediscovery, 1800-1955," which explores the central role of the Ottoman capital in shaping the emerging discipline of Byzantine studies.

Curated by Byzantinist Brigitte Pitarakis, the exhibition examines the central role of the Ottoman capital in shaping Byzantine studies, focussing on an area that has not been studied enough until now and bringing together an impressive selection of archival holdings and archaeological material from the Byzantine collections of Istanbul Archaeological Museums.

Many outstanding libraries, archives and private collections from Turkey and abroad contributed to this selection. Rare books, original photographs, documents, maps and prints illustrated in a flamboyant style specific to the period were brought together in thematic integrity in the exhibition.

Nejad Melih Devrim and Fikret Mualla's Byzantium-inspired paintings reveal the influence of this heritage on modern art, while Tayfun Öner's 3D animation, which deals with the extraordinary career of Istanbul born astronomer Eugène Antoniadi, looks at Byzantium through the lens of science fiction.

Pitarakis points out that the transformation of the Byzantine heritage into a wide area of interest was examined for the first time in this exhibition.

"Beyond looking at various moments in the city's life from 1800 to 1955, the exhibition From Istanbul to Byzantium also considers the dynamic of Istanbul as a center of gravity attracting the monetary and intellectual wealth of empires to...