Driven by blind emotions
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ceylan Yeğinsu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 27, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Five blind photographers have toured Istanbul and snapped photos of historical sites and views of the Bosphorous under the direction of an AFP photographer, Mustafa Özer. Their work is on display at the Beşiktaş Municipality until March 1
Five blind photographers recently opened one of the most unique photography exhibitions to ever grace Istanbul’s artistic landscape.
Lead by the technical expertise of Mustafa Özer, a photographer from French news agency AFP, five visually impaired people from the Six Dots Foundation for the blind visited Istanbul’s "golden sites" and photographed historic buildings, streets and the Bosphorus.
"There are certain things that cannot be seen by your eyes but can be felt by your emotions," said Murat Demirok, president of the Six Dots Foundation Istanbul branch.
Emotion drives them
The project participants said it was emotion that drove them within the project framework. Over three years the team of six spent time in historic areas such as Sultan Ahmet, Haydar Paşa and Akaretler street in Beşiktas. In an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Demirok said the photographs taken in Haydar Paşa were important to him because until he lost his sight at 16 he spent much of his child hood playing on the Haydar Paşa streets.
Photographers Murat Demirok, Abidin Solmaz, Necmi Dönmez, Ilhan Şeref Güner and Ismail Hakkı Göksu produced 800 photos depicting a wide range of subjects. The group said feelings and emotions led them through Istanbul as they took a range of photographs from historical sites to sea gulls gliding between ferries on the Bosphorus.
Demirok said he took pictures of his wife, children and cousins as part of the project. He said he was feeling great excitement about his family being exhibited in photographs he had taken. "I have never seen my family visually but it brings me happiness that others will see them in displays at the exhibition."
First of its kind
Demırok said this exhibition was the first of its kind in the world. Research carried out by Six Dots found that a similar project was carried out in Thailand by a group of partially blind photographers, but they found no examples of a group of fully blind photographers. "In the world we are the first to embark on and complete such a project. We wanted to show people that we are not consumers but producers also," said Göksu, who lost his sight at the age of 30.
Forty-one of the 800 photos have been selected for the project’s first exhibition, which is being held at the Besiktaş Municipality exhibition hall until March 1. The photographs are on sale for 200 liras per print and all proceeds will go to Six Dots projects.
The next project in line for Six Dots is to found a library. With the money raised from the exhibition, books will be bought and readers will be hired to conduct evening reading sessions at the foundation.
Six Dots Foundation for the blind
The Six Dots Foundation for the blind was founded for the education, rehabilitation and employment of blind individuals to increase their efficiency and raise awareness about the disability among the general public.
The foundation gained its legal identity on March 13, 1972. Free of charge, it distributes foldable white walking sticks, Braille lettering tablets and nail pens to meet the needs of blind individuals in Turkey. A rehabilitation center for the blind has been established at the Six Dots Istanbul branch. The center opened by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality provides education and extra curricular facilities for the blind.
Lead by the technical expertise of Mustafa Özer, a photographer from French news agency AFP, five visually impaired people from the Six Dots Foundation for the blind visited Istanbul’s "golden sites" and photographed historic buildings, streets and the Bosphorus.
"There are certain things that cannot be seen by your eyes but can be felt by your emotions," said Murat Demirok, president of the Six Dots Foundation Istanbul branch.
Emotion drives them
The project participants said it was emotion that drove them within the project framework. Over three years the team of six spent time in historic areas such as Sultan Ahmet, Haydar Paşa and Akaretler street in Beşiktas. In an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Demirok said the photographs taken in Haydar Paşa were important to him because until he lost his sight at 16 he spent much of his child hood playing on the Haydar Paşa streets.
Photographers Murat Demirok, Abidin Solmaz, Necmi Dönmez, Ilhan Şeref Güner and Ismail Hakkı Göksu produced 800 photos depicting a wide range of subjects. The group said feelings and emotions led them through Istanbul as they took a range of photographs from historical sites to sea gulls gliding between ferries on the Bosphorus.
Demirok said he took pictures of his wife, children and cousins as part of the project. He said he was feeling great excitement about his family being exhibited in photographs he had taken. "I have never seen my family visually but it brings me happiness that others will see them in displays at the exhibition."
First of its kind
Demırok said this exhibition was the first of its kind in the world. Research carried out by Six Dots found that a similar project was carried out in Thailand by a group of partially blind photographers, but they found no examples of a group of fully blind photographers. "In the world we are the first to embark on and complete such a project. We wanted to show people that we are not consumers but producers also," said Göksu, who lost his sight at the age of 30.
Forty-one of the 800 photos have been selected for the project’s first exhibition, which is being held at the Besiktaş Municipality exhibition hall until March 1. The photographs are on sale for 200 liras per print and all proceeds will go to Six Dots projects.
The next project in line for Six Dots is to found a library. With the money raised from the exhibition, books will be bought and readers will be hired to conduct evening reading sessions at the foundation.
Six Dots Foundation for the blind
The Six Dots Foundation for the blind was founded for the education, rehabilitation and employment of blind individuals to increase their efficiency and raise awareness about the disability among the general public.
The foundation gained its legal identity on March 13, 1972. Free of charge, it distributes foldable white walking sticks, Braille lettering tablets and nail pens to meet the needs of blind individuals in Turkey. A rehabilitation center for the blind has been established at the Six Dots Istanbul branch. The center opened by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality provides education and extra curricular facilities for the blind.