Souvenirs of the Future

Souvenirs of the Future, springs from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection and focuses on the memories recalled through objects whilst exploring the connections between memory and future imaginings through a contemporary lens. The cultural and symbolic value and significance of objects taken as souvenirs, those that remind us of a certain place and time, or those that are collected, weave together personal journeys and the memory of the region. The exhibition approaches the collection with a future-oriented perspective; aiming to capture it through contemporary works derived from it. Instead of a nostalgic attachment to the past, it proposes contemplating how the future will be remembered and focuses on memory's future-oriented functions.

The exhibition comprises four sections: "Reminiscences of Motifs," brings together works inspired by motifs used in ceramic decorations. In the section "Memory of Objects", stories are told through ceramic objects, focusing on contemporary reflections of material culture. The section "Memory of the Region" presents spatial interventions and site-specific installations while the section titled "Remembering the Future" brings together speculative objects, videos, and photographs to create future memory artifacts.

Souvenirs of the Future, curated by Ulya Soley and brought together in memory of Suna Kıraç, who created the Kütahya Tile and Ceramics Collection exhibited at the Pera Museum, also includes a selection of ceramics from the collection that inspired the commissioned works in the exhibition. 

Image Credits