‘Ars Apodemica’ opens at Meşher

ISTANBUL

Meşher and the Sadberk Hanım Museum (SHM) are presenting the “Ars Apodemica” exhibition as part of Koç Group’s 100th anniversary at Meşher.

Curated by Merve Uca, the exhibition brings together more than 300 works covering a wide time span from the end of the 15th century to the first quarter of the 20th century. It is structured around journeys made to Ottoman territories and the motivations behind travel.

The show focuses on travelogues that approach travel not only as a form of displacement but also as a conscious practice of selection and recording. Within this framework, it brings together rare works.

Among the featured artists are Albrecht Dürer, Jacopo Ligozzi and Louis-François Cassas. The exhibition also includes travel books, Istanbul views, diplomatic gifts, maps and important visual sources documenting the Ottoman world.

Uca said the title comes from the Latin term “ars apodemica” and noted that the exhibition was designed around different motivations for travel.

“We wanted to structure the exhibition around different travel motivations. Our introductory theme starts with curiosity. Curiosity permeates all journeys, I think it would not be wrong to say that. Then comes faith, which is one of our main motivations and one of the strongest drivers of travel writing,” she said.

Uca said war, military campaigns and sieges also constitute another form of travel motivation.

She added that diplomacy and trade are closely intertwined, noting that diplomatic protection often facilitated commerce. She also pointed out that cultural encounters led to the emergence of the Turquerie movement and the spread of Turkish fashion in Europe. “We could call this an interlude. Although not a standalone exhibition theme, we conclude with the institutionalization of travel and tourism,” she said.

Uca stated that the exhibition was created with works from the Sadberk Hanım Museum and Ömer Koç collections.

“I would especially like to mention the paintings recently donated by Çiğdem Simavi and the Portolan map. These are diplomatic travel-related works. Four of the paintings were produced by artists in the entourage of the Habsburg envoy Hans Ludwig von Kuefstein. The other four are very important in showing Ottoman diplomatic protocol. It is possible to follow that ritual as a series in these works. Alongside the paintings, we should also not forget the monumental Turkish dance painting. It stands out with its truly monumental scale and meticulous depictions. The Portolan map is also a remarkable work,” she said.

SHM Director Hülya Bilgi said the museum’s long-standing experience, along with paintings recently donated by Simavi, served as inspiration for the exhibition.

She noted that selected loaned works from Rahmi M. Koç and Caroline Koç collections are also included, alongside decorative and ethnographic objects from museum collections, travelogues, albums and paintings reflecting the world of the period.

Rather than a chronological narrative, the exhibition offers a reading structured around thematic sections.

Under themes such as curiosity, faith, diplomacy, war, trade and tourism, it examines why people set out on journeys and how these journeys left visual and material traces.

“Ars Apodemica” can be seen through May 23.

The exhibition shows travel books, Istanbul views, diplomatic gifts and maps.

Organized by Meşher and the Sadberk Hanım Museum as part of Koç Group’s 100th anniversary, a new exhibition brings together more than 300 works exploring travel in the Ottoman world from the late 15th to early 20th centuries