206 Rooms of Silence: Etudes on Prinkipo Greek Orphanage

Galata Greek School is happy to host the 206 Rooms of Silence: Etudes on Prinkipo Greek Orphanage exhibition between 9th October – 10th November 2018.
The exhibition focuses on Prinkipo Greek Orphanage which is considered as one of the “7 World Heritage in Danger” by Europa Nostra, a non-governmental organisation known by its work on protection of the cultural heritage. The exhibition opens a door to the reminiscence of this memory space which is the biggest wooden building in Europe, work of famous architect Alexandre Vallaury (1850-1921). The structure has witnessed many incidents from past to present, in a way has kept a record of social history. Although this majestic building seems to have been buried in silence with all its memories, it keeps reminding us what has been forgotten and what will soon be disappeared, standing tall on the hill it restsGalata Greek School, where the exhibition will be on display, nearly shared the same destiny with Prinkipo Greek Orphanage. The exhibition will tell the transformation of Prinkipo Palace to a home that embraced the orphans of Istanbul Greek community and to a ghost building as a result of political and social events against the minorities.

Artworks that shed light on the history with verbal testimonies, documentary and visual documents to convey the presence of a school to another by Ali Kazma, Murat Germen, Dilek Winchester and Hera Büyüktaşcıyan based on Prinkipo Greek Orphanage will take place in the exhibition curated by Hera Büyüktaşcıyan.

Another part of the project will include discussions, readings and workshops on the axis of cultural heritage, memory and orphanage: Various activities will be organised within the framework of the practices the Greek community has been exposed to, the legal status of the orphanage, philanthropy, orphanage experiences of other minority communities, along with the evacuation of the orphanage in 1964 and the transfer of children to another centre. Additionally, there will be film screenings and series of conversations as part of the Open School Library.

206 Rooms of Silence, Etudes on Prinkipo Greek Orphanage invites us to walk through the corridors of this school of life, which includes the invisible layers of city history, and look to the past through the lens of the present.

Exhibition will be held under the auspices of the Ecumenical Greek Patriarchate of Istanbul and will be a parallel event to 4th Istanbul Design Biennial.

This event is held parallel to the 4th Istanbul Design Biennial of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

Supported by:
The Ecumenical Patriarchate
Athanasios Martinos
Schwarz Foundation
Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı
2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage