Ozan Sağdıç: The Photographer’s Testimony

“The Photographer’s Testimony” presents a wide selection of works by Ozan Sağdıç (b. 1934), one of the most prominent names in the history of photography in Türkiye. The exhibition focuses on documentary photography, a widespread genre of photography in the world, while also shedding light on the country’s social, political, economic, cultural, and visual history from the 1950s to the present day.

By documenting Türkiye’s transformation from multiple perspectives during the course of his 70-year career, Ozan Sağdıç plays an essential role in the formation of the country’s visual memory, particularly at a time when photography was less commonly practiced. 

The exhibition features 127 black and white and color photographs, including portraits of politicians who shaped the country, influential figures in art and literature, as well as works depicting street life with ordinary people working or having fun, in short, capturing these transformative years from a humanistic point of view. While offering the audience a visual panorama of the country from the 1950s onwards, the exhibition also presents the techniques and contexts in which these photographs were produced through vintage prints and examples from Hayat magazine.
 

Curators: Merih Akoğul, Demet Yıldız Dinçer

Consultant: Dr. Ruhi Oğuz Sağdıç


Moda Cape, Istanbul, 1956 (detail)