Abstract
Taking as a starting point the photographic installation Self-Portrait as an Ottoman Woman (2012 – ongoing)1 the paper explores colonial, nationalist and gendered photographic representations in the post-Ottoman landscape, particularly focusing on a personal collection of postcards featuring women in traditional dress and national costumes. The paper examines how the postcard as tourist imagery is linked to complex processes in the production and consumption of photography related to Orientalist practices, Ottoman Imperialism and various nation-building processes. Considering how the collection of postcards problematises the historical accuracy of the female representations, the paper argues that alluding to the idea of the “Ottoman woman” constructs a collective space of belonging for a series of conflicting and oppositional social, ethnic and religious positions. This emphasis on the instability of gender representations in Self-Portrait as an Ottoman Woman becomes the motor in foregrounding the fluid and hybrid nature of identity.
Original language | English |
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Pages | 293-305 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Event | Exhibition East and West: Visualising the Ottoman City - Peltz Gallery, Birkbeck College, London, United Kingdom Duration: 6 Jun 2014 → 30 Jun 2014 |
Exhibition
Exhibition | Exhibition East and West: Visualising the Ottoman City |
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Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | London |
Period | 6/06/14 → 30/06/14 |