Jawa El Khash, 2020
8’44”
Hammam is a virtual-reality experience that takes place in a bath house. It is an opportunity to experience the majestic and romantic nature of Islamic architecture through the spiritual elements of water and light. In Islamic architecture, light is a sublime element that enlightens the soul within the space, evoking a sense of sanctity as it seeps in through the ceiling, gifting every object it touches with a luminous golden presence. Here, sunlight acts as a mediator that ties two worlds together – the visible and the invisible, the human and the sublime, blurring the distinction between the interior and the exterior, the real and the imagined. The music of water accompanies you in the form of fountains and pools, rhythmically pulsating, reminding you of the flow of the invisible river of time. Unlike bathhouses in real life, this hammam is absent of a human spirit. The living beings in this world are butterflies, prayer beads, lanterns, fog, water and light. Through these symbolic elements, the limits of physical reality are transformed into a virtual environment that breathes surrealism and solitude.
Pera Museum, in collaboration with Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is one of the main venues for this year’s 15th Istanbul Biennial from 16 September to 12 November 2017. Through the biennial, we will be sharing detailed information about the artists and the artworks.
It is understood from Evliya Çelebi’s well-known Book of Travels that the history of sea baths goes as far back as the 17th century; their acceptance and popularization take place in mid-19th century as a result of Westernization, among other things.
Although traditionally used as a medium for functional or decorative objects, ceramic has become a medium that is increasingly used by contemporary. Here is the work of some important contemporary ceramic artists from around the world!
Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 - 19:00
Friday 10:00 - 22:00
Sunday 12:00 - 18:00
The museum is closed on Mondays.
On Wednesdays, the students can
visit the museum free of admission.
Full ticket: 200 TL
Discounted: 100 TL
Groups: 150 TL (minimum 10 people)
