Thursday, July 2, 2015

The Descendant project exhibition: a must see Exhibition at the UNSW Canberra Academy Library 1 June - 30 August 2015


On Wednesday 17th June on a dark, wet, wintery Canberra night a fabulous exhibition opened at the University of New South Wales Canberra Academy Library to warm our hearts and minds.

The Descendant project exhibition contains 20 beautiful portraits by Mertim Gokalp and related material designed to ignite the curiosity about who we are in relation to our past.

The Descendants Project was designed to create a personal identity journey, commemorating Anzac History, honouring the past and celebrating our future by exploring reflections of a 100 year old war on the generations of the present. It reflects the intertwined relationship of Turkey and Australia connected almost a century ago, by a war. Through the Gallipoli War both nations suffered enormous change, one uniting around the loss and destruction while the other was falling apart, yet to be born as a new nation from its ashes.

The Project website, http://www.descendantsproject.com.au/#!home/mainPage, reflects on the documented history of the experiences on individuals, from the Anzac letters the soldiers wrote to their loved ones, to exploring the reflections of a war on the generation of the present.

Descendants is a personal identity journey, creating a very personal insight into Anzac History, honouring the past and celebrating our future.

Portraits of descendants from both Turkish and Anzac sides have been created for the project. The website notes that “descendants, selected to be a part of the project, were asked to either wear or hold on to a representative in order to build the bridge between today and the past. These representatives may be their Grandfather’s uniforms (or part of the uniform), medals, watches, boots, etc., an object to represent their connection to the past.”

Emir Ali Emirlioglu, great grandson of Gunnery Officer Mustafa Niyazi is the subject of one of the beautiful portraits. He is shown with a gas lamp which is a family heirloom. The website quotes his voice”100 years after the Dardanelles War, in which my great grandfather served as a gunnery officer, The Descendants Project has been a moving project for me as it traces the friendship forged during the war between the two nations and reveals the undiscovered documents, veterans, and martyrs…I was proud to be part of this project”




 Photo of Ali in front of his portrait by Mertim Gokalp – you can see the portrait at http://www.descendantsproject.com.au/#!Emir-Ali-Emirlioglu-by-Mertim-Gokalp/c3nf/55587a380cf23d01649f1ae9

It was lovely to see Ali and his family at the launch sharing thoughts and memories. I am very pleased to work with Ali at the Australian National University where his IT skills, passion and humour are much appreciated.


The artist Mertim Gokalp will be returning to the UNSW Canberra Academy Library on July 2 for an Artist’s Talk – RSVP details can be found at: http://lib.unsw.adfa.edu.au/exhib/descendants/index.html


Roxanne Missingham
University Librarian
The Australian National University

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