An Intercultural Conversation on Ara Güler

Catch an expert panel discussing the work, life, and legacy of the world-renowned Turkish photographer Ara Güler. The panel, which features the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scientists, coincides with the opening of the new Güler exhibit, set to run through Friday, October 4th.

Panelists will include: 

  • John Bailey, former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017-2019)
  • Christopher Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Phillips Photographs
  • Alexey Titarenko, photo artist
  • Cagla Sarac, Art Curator of Ara Güler Museum                             

The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Museum’s Big Meeting Hall. 


“Ara Güler Photo Exhibit”

Organized by Presidency of Republic of Turkey

In New York during the UN General Assembly

 The “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit” organized by Presidency of Republic of Turkey, carries works of photography artist Ara Güler, “Master of Leica,” — who passed away last year and is regarded as one of the best seven photographers to the important cities of the world.  

The “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit,” which was displayed in London at Saatchi Gallery in April, in Paris at Polka Gallery in May and in Japan at Kyoto Tofuku-ji Temple during G-20 summit, will be opened in New York during the same period with the United Nations General Assembly, when the whole world turns its attention to the U.S.A. 

The “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit” which was carried by prominent media organizations such as The Times, Daily Mail, Le Figaro in London and Paris and selected among the top 10 events to visit in London, will meet with art lovers in the heart of Wall Street, at Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House between September 23 and October 4. 

The main axis of the exhibit is Istanbul photographs of Ara Güler dating back to 1950s, and there is also a selection of portraits of prominent figures from Dustin Hoffman to Federico Fellini, from  Pablo Picasso to Salvador Dali, from Brigitte Bardot to Sophia Loren.  

In addition, within the margins of the exhibit, a panel titled “An Intercultural Conversation on Ara Güler” will be organized.  John Bailey, former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017-2019), Christopher Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Phillips Photographs, Alexey Titarenko, photo artist and Cagla Sarac, Art Curator of Ara Güler Museum will attend as panelists.  

After New York, the “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit,” which is organized by the Presidency of Republic of Turkey in cooperation with Ara Güler Museum and Archives and Research Center,  will be opened in Rome at Trastevere Museum as its fifth stop.  The main sponsors of the exhibit are Halkbank and Ziraat Bank, media sponsors are Sabah and Daily Sabah newspapers and official airline sponsor is Turkish Airlines.  

The President’s Foreword

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his foreword for the exhibit booklet, defines master photographer Ara Güler as follows: “Ara Güler was a global brand in his field. The well-known figures of the last 65 years, such as statesmen, political leaders, artists and philanthropists who were reflected through his lens are an important proof to his mastery as such. We, as a nation, are proud of his photographs’ finding their well-deserved, reputable place in prominent museums and art collections throughout the world. These photographs are the outcome of a career started in 1950 and continued until the very end of his life. Ara Güler’s journey, which takes the artist’s home city İstanbul, into focus, is also a synopsis of our recent history. We will always remember and respect him as one of the ideal examples of the genuine artistic profile of our country, with his unique, productive, unbiased and characterful style.

About Ara Güler

Armenian Turkish artist Ara Güler was born in İstanbul in 1928. The most prominent envoy in the global arena of Turkey’s creative photography, Güler worked as a Near East photojournalist for Time Life in 1956, Paris Match in 1958 and also Stern magazine. At about the same time, Magnum Photos began to publish Ara Güler’s photos globally. 

He was presented in the “British 1961 Photography Yearbook” as one of the seven greatest photographers in the world.  Also in that year, he was accepted as the only Turkish member to the American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP).

He was deemed worthy of the “Master of Leica” title in Germany in 1962. The same year, Swiss Camera magazine, one of the world’s leading photography publications, published a special issue about him. Ara Güler also took the photographs of Lord Kinross’ “Hagia Sophia” book published in 1971. The cover photo on “Picasso: Métamorphose et Unité,” published by Skira Books to celebrate Picasso’s 90th birthday, was also captured by Ara Güler. 

His images on art and art history were published by Time Life, Horizon, Newsweek and Skira Publishing House. 

Güler’s photographs of architect Sinan’s buildings were published in a book titled “Sinan: Architect of Süleyman the Magnificent” in France in 1992 by Edition Arthaud Publications, and in the U.S. and the U.K. by Thames & Hudson Publications. 

In 2002, he was awarded the “Légion d’honneur: Officier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French government, and in 2009 “La Médaille de la Ville de Paris” by the Paris municipality.

He was also deemed worthy of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2005, the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture and Arts Service Award in 2008, the Turkish Grand National Assembly Superior Service Award in 2009, the U.S. Lucie Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2011.

He was also granted an Honorary Doctorate by Yıldız Technical University in 2004, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2013 and Bosphorus University in 2014. 

The Ara Güler Museum and Ara Güler Archives and Research Centre was inaugurated by Doğuş Group on the occasion of his 90th birthday, on August 16, 2018.

Ara Güler passed away at the age of 90, on October 17, 2018.











When: Tue., Sep. 24, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Where: National Museum of the American Indian
1 Bowling Green
212-514-3700
Price: Free
Buy tickets/get more info now
See other events in these categories:

Catch an expert panel discussing the work, life, and legacy of the world-renowned Turkish photographer Ara Güler. The panel, which features the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scientists, coincides with the opening of the new Güler exhibit, set to run through Friday, October 4th.

Panelists will include: 

  • John Bailey, former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017-2019)
  • Christopher Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Phillips Photographs
  • Alexey Titarenko, photo artist
  • Cagla Sarac, Art Curator of Ara Güler Museum                             

The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Museum’s Big Meeting Hall. 


“Ara Güler Photo Exhibit”

Organized by Presidency of Republic of Turkey

In New York during the UN General Assembly

 The “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit” organized by Presidency of Republic of Turkey, carries works of photography artist Ara Güler, “Master of Leica,” — who passed away last year and is regarded as one of the best seven photographers to the important cities of the world.  

The “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit,” which was displayed in London at Saatchi Gallery in April, in Paris at Polka Gallery in May and in Japan at Kyoto Tofuku-ji Temple during G-20 summit, will be opened in New York during the same period with the United Nations General Assembly, when the whole world turns its attention to the U.S.A. 

The “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit” which was carried by prominent media organizations such as The Times, Daily Mail, Le Figaro in London and Paris and selected among the top 10 events to visit in London, will meet with art lovers in the heart of Wall Street, at Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House between September 23 and October 4. 

The main axis of the exhibit is Istanbul photographs of Ara Güler dating back to 1950s, and there is also a selection of portraits of prominent figures from Dustin Hoffman to Federico Fellini, from  Pablo Picasso to Salvador Dali, from Brigitte Bardot to Sophia Loren.  

In addition, within the margins of the exhibit, a panel titled “An Intercultural Conversation on Ara Güler” will be organized.  John Bailey, former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017-2019), Christopher Mahoney, Senior Vice President of Phillips Photographs, Alexey Titarenko, photo artist and Cagla Sarac, Art Curator of Ara Güler Museum will attend as panelists.  

After New York, the “Ara Güler Photo Exhibit,” which is organized by the Presidency of Republic of Turkey in cooperation with Ara Güler Museum and Archives and Research Center,  will be opened in Rome at Trastevere Museum as its fifth stop.  The main sponsors of the exhibit are Halkbank and Ziraat Bank, media sponsors are Sabah and Daily Sabah newspapers and official airline sponsor is Turkish Airlines.  

The President’s Foreword

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his foreword for the exhibit booklet, defines master photographer Ara Güler as follows: “Ara Güler was a global brand in his field. The well-known figures of the last 65 years, such as statesmen, political leaders, artists and philanthropists who were reflected through his lens are an important proof to his mastery as such. We, as a nation, are proud of his photographs’ finding their well-deserved, reputable place in prominent museums and art collections throughout the world. These photographs are the outcome of a career started in 1950 and continued until the very end of his life. Ara Güler’s journey, which takes the artist’s home city İstanbul, into focus, is also a synopsis of our recent history. We will always remember and respect him as one of the ideal examples of the genuine artistic profile of our country, with his unique, productive, unbiased and characterful style.

About Ara Güler

Armenian Turkish artist Ara Güler was born in İstanbul in 1928. The most prominent envoy in the global arena of Turkey’s creative photography, Güler worked as a Near East photojournalist for Time Life in 1956, Paris Match in 1958 and also Stern magazine. At about the same time, Magnum Photos began to publish Ara Güler’s photos globally. 

He was presented in the “British 1961 Photography Yearbook” as one of the seven greatest photographers in the world.  Also in that year, he was accepted as the only Turkish member to the American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP).

He was deemed worthy of the “Master of Leica” title in Germany in 1962. The same year, Swiss Camera magazine, one of the world’s leading photography publications, published a special issue about him. Ara Güler also took the photographs of Lord Kinross’ “Hagia Sophia” book published in 1971. The cover photo on “Picasso: Métamorphose et Unité,” published by Skira Books to celebrate Picasso’s 90th birthday, was also captured by Ara Güler. 

His images on art and art history were published by Time Life, Horizon, Newsweek and Skira Publishing House. 

Güler’s photographs of architect Sinan’s buildings were published in a book titled “Sinan: Architect of Süleyman the Magnificent” in France in 1992 by Edition Arthaud Publications, and in the U.S. and the U.K. by Thames & Hudson Publications. 

In 2002, he was awarded the “Légion d’honneur: Officier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French government, and in 2009 “La Médaille de la Ville de Paris” by the Paris municipality.

He was also deemed worthy of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2005, the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture and Arts Service Award in 2008, the Turkish Grand National Assembly Superior Service Award in 2009, the U.S. Lucie Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2011.

He was also granted an Honorary Doctorate by Yıldız Technical University in 2004, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2013 and Bosphorus University in 2014. 

The Ara Güler Museum and Ara Güler Archives and Research Centre was inaugurated by Doğuş Group on the occasion of his 90th birthday, on August 16, 2018.

Ara Güler passed away at the age of 90, on October 17, 2018.

Buy tickets/get more info now