TALKING BOOKS EXPANDED

Most of the works in the exhibition – all long-term, in-depth projects – have also been published as photobooks. How does a photobook differ from an exhibition? What role does the book play in their practice? And what is the future of the medium as an independent form?


To kick off the series, Sabiha Çimen and Carolyn Drake will present their book projects – followed by an open Q&A with the audience.


In her work Hāfiz, Sabiha Çimen presents sensitive portraits of young Muslim girls in Quran schools in Turkey. Her images are delicate and intimate, offering a rare glimpse into a world that is often misunderstood from the outside.


Carolyn Drake’s Men Untitled is a staged exploration of masculinity. In collaboration with her protagonists, she examines how male identity can be represented through photography. Her images intentionally disrupt documentary expectations and explore themes of power, control, and self-image – playfully, subversively, and consistently from a female perspective.



(Language English)




Sabiha Çimen (b.1986 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a self-taught photographer. Çimen's work focuses on Islamic culture, portraiture, and still life. She explores the experiences of young Islamic women in Turkey and aims to give greater visibility to Islamic women in photography. Her work has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times and Vogue. She has received multiple awards, including the W. Eugene Smith Fund Grant.

 

Carolyn Drake (b.1971 in the USA) works on long-term photo-based projects that interrogate historical narratives and offer alternative interpretations of reality. Her work explores community and the dynamics within it, as well as the connections between people, places, and perceptions. She has received several prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fulbright Fellowship.