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 A gift of Suna and Inan Kirac "pera"
Based
on the priceless collections of Suna and Inan Kirac, the Pera Museum
tells a wide-ranging
tale of East and West...
The Pera Museum, created from the priceless art works collected over the
years by Suna and Inan Kirac,
opened its doors to art lovers. Thronged
with Istanbulites by the hundreds since the first day, the museum
is soon to become one of the city's favorite venues for art with galleries
spread over 3700 square meters
and permanent exhibitions as well as an
auditorium, a cafe and a gift shop.
"THESE WORKS BELONG TO TURKEY"
The museum, which is housed in what was until recently the Bristol
Hotel, directly adjacent to the Odakule
office tower
at Tepebasi, was
built by architect Achille Manoussos in 1893. Last year, however, when
an
inspection determined it to be non- resistant to earthquakes, the
entire building with the exception of the
facade was razed and rebuilt
to international standards by architect Sinan Genim as a museum, the
Pera Museum.Inan
Kirac tells the story of how the collections he and his wife Suna
acquired over the years were turned into a museum:"If you have the time
and the means, you slowly begin to fill your house, your study, with
beautiful things-more than just beautiful, with things that have a
meaning, a depth, a history. Even if your job is the world's most tiring
and difficult and you don't have enough time for such things, when you
come home at night, or when you leave your work on your desk and lean
back in your chair, those works of art gradually draw you into their own
world; they make you think, they console you, they give you rest and
make you happy. This instinct to share, which is perhaps one of the best
aspects of human nature but which unfortunately doesn't always come out,
this desire to share your valuable things with other art lovers,
scholars, young people and children grows from day to day, and compels
you to make certain decisions. The idea of founding the Pera Museum and
opening up our family collection to the general public in a special
museum arose in just this way. These works of art have now become
the property of Turkey. When we have a hankering to see them, we will
come here
and see them just like you, and that will give us satisfaction."
TWO
SIGNIFICANT EXHIBITIONS
We turn now to the staircase of the museum, whose official opening is
scheduled for October. Two permanent collections are housed on the first
floor. The first is the exhibition of 'Anatolian Weights and Measures',
which Inan Kirac claims is unmatched in the world. With close to a
thousand objects, it contains the chief instruments of weight and
measure used in Anatolia from pre-historic times right up to our day in
various areas such as trade, land surveying, architecture, jewelry and
pharmacy. The collection, which is focused more on the Islamic period in
Anatolia, also includes examples from earlier periods so as to present
the entire spectrum. Organized chronologically to reveal relations
between the different periods and regions as well as change and
continuity, it is a museum in and of itself The second exhibition is
made up of selections from Suna Kiraç's 400-piece collection of Kutahya
Tiles and Ceramics.
 THE
TORTOISE TRAINER' HERE TOO
When Suna Kirac's sister Sevgi Gonul and her husband Erdogan Gonul
passed away recently, the major portion of the works they had acquired
were also transferred to the Suna and Inan Kirac collection. The
museum's second floor has been named accordingly the 'Sevgi and Erdogan
Gonul Gallery'. A collection of over 300 works painted by European 'Orientalist'
painters from the 18th to the 20th century will be exhibited here,
arranged by theme. The first exhibition based on the collection is
called 'Portraits from the Empire' and consists of close to 60 paintings
depicting men and women of various periods and classes together with
paintings of sultans, princes and ambassadors. Hanging at the gallery
entrance is Osman Hamdi Bey's 'The Tortoise Trainer', a work that was
added to the collection for an astronomical sum as the museum was being
developed. A large
number of the portraits of sultans and other members of the Ottoman
dynasty are anonymous. But when we look at the artists whose works are
included in the exhibition the names of a few prominent orientalist
painters do catch our eye. Antoine de Favray, for example, a Knight of
Malta and one of the foreign painters who worked in Istanbul in the 18th
century, observed the members of the Ottoman dynasty so well that he
conveyed each one of the Western types that he used as models in many of
his paintings with masterful realism as if they were actually members of
the dynasty. Jean Baptiste Vanmour, another diplomat who is also
regarded as one of the founders of orientalist
painting, rather than
individual portraits preferred to paint crowded compositions such as
audience ceremonies and scenes from everyday life. Meanwhile the
portraits by Osman Hamdi Bey, considered to be the only 'native'
orientalist, and Fausto Zonaro, Sultan Abdulhamid II's 'Palace painter'
who has recently become better known, are not only painted in close-up
but also dazzle the eye with their vibrant colors and magical atmosphere
"AN ART
CAPITAL BY THE YEAR 2010"
 Finally, on the top three floors of the museum, which is open to
artistic activity of every stripe, is the 'Youth Initiative' exhibition,
consisting of works by young Turkish artists and organized in
cooperation with the International Plastic Arts Association (UPSD) under
the direction of Turkish painter Mehmet Guleryuz. A stylish cafe, to be
opened soon, is located at the entrance level. "It's my dream", says
Inan Kiraç, "to turn this into a venue where artists and art lovers can
also stop by in the evening to chat." In the middle of the cafe stands
an old piano with a small framed photograph of Suna and Inan Kirac on
top. Its original owner was Maria Callas, which makes it the same piano
that is featured in Yigit Okur's work, 'Piyano'. Inspired by a lofty
sense of 'sharing', Inan Kirac set out on this path together with his
wife Suna and made the Pera Museum a gift to all art lovers. Soon he is
going to open the Istanbul Research Institute as well. The institute,
which will be located only 100 meters form the museum, will house artifacts and documents
from the Byzantine, Ottoman and Republican periods. Let us leave our
final words to Inan Kirac: "We inhabit a part of the world that has
played host to a wide variety of cultures, and we are their heirs.
Istanbul is truly among the most beautiful cities in the world. And she
possesses monuments from many cultures since several different
civilizations were founded here. Istanbul is engaged in efforts to
become a capital of art and culture by the year 2010. If we can bring
cultural services in Istanbul up to a certain level, our beautiful city
is certainly going to be a more interesting center for the rest of the
world. And if we, as the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation, can contribute
towards that end, we shall be very happy indeed."
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