Istanbul: Spaces of Freedom
Exhibition
Fabrikraum, Kultur- & Kunstverein / Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften Johnstraße 25-27/2, 1150 Wien
9.—22.10.2025
Artists: Juvan Manca
Curator: THEAGENT
The exhibition “Istanbul: Spaces of Freedom” has its origins in a book of photography called “Istanbul: Faces of Freedom.” Originally conceived as part of a larger project focused on ideas of urban freedom, this work was authored by Ljubljana-based photographer and writer Manca Juvan and historian Oto Luthar. The book opens with a provocative question: Istanbul, as Luthar notes, has been a major city and an object of desire and conquest for thousands of years. But to what extent does the city’s history confirm the commonplace assumption that urbanity represents freedom? Put differently, how free was/is Istanbul? The result is a moving book that seeks to capture a moment in the life of the metropolis and its changing relationship to the elusive ideal of urban freedom. With our proposed exhibition, “Istanbul: Spaces of Freedom,” our goal is to present a selection of images from the book that prompt us to think about urban freedom and that push us to consider photography’s role in capturing both its presence and its absence. As such, the exhibition resonates with FOTO WIEN’s thematic focus on dynamic futures and its emphasis on photography's role in imagining political futures.
Thu3–6 PM
Fri3–6 PM
Sat3–6 PM
free entry Not barrier-free
Artists: Juvan Manca
Curator: THEAGENT
The exhibition “Istanbul: Spaces of Freedom” has its origins in a book of photography called “Istanbul: Faces of Freedom.” Originally conceived as part of a larger project focused on ideas of urban freedom, this work was authored by Ljubljana-based photographer and writer Manca Juvan and historian Oto Luthar. The book opens with a provocative question: Istanbul, as Luthar notes, has been a major city and an object of desire and conquest for thousands of years. But to what extent does the city’s history confirm the commonplace assumption that urbanity represents freedom? Put differently, how free was/is Istanbul? The result is a moving book that seeks to capture a moment in the life of the metropolis and its changing relationship to the elusive ideal of urban freedom. With our proposed exhibition, “Istanbul: Spaces of Freedom,” our goal is to present a selection of images from the book that prompt us to think about urban freedom and that push us to consider photography’s role in capturing both its presence and its absence. As such, the exhibition resonates with FOTO WIEN’s thematic focus on dynamic futures and its emphasis on photography's role in imagining political futures.
| 15—18 Uhr
The exhibition “Istanbul: Spaces of Freedom” has its origins in a book of photography called “Istanbul: Faces of Freedom.” Originally conceived as part of a larger project focused on ideas of urban freedom, this work was authored by Ljubljana-based photographer...
Opening hours:
Thu3–6 PM
Fri3–6 PM
Sat3–6 PM
Address:
Johnstraße 25-27/2
1150 Wien
Johnstraße 25-27/2
1150 Wien