Ahmet Polat Presents “The Myth of Men”

From March 1 to April 29, the photography exhibition “The Myth of Men” shot by Ahmet Polat will be on view at Leica Gallery Boston in collaboration with Leica Gallery Istanbul. This exhibition is part of an ongoing theater, film and photographic collaboration between Ahmet Polat, creative storyteller and director Lucas de Man, as well as actor Rashif EL Kaoui. “The Myth of Men” premiered at Leica Gallery Istanbul during the Istanbul Biennial in 2017, and simultaneously began its theater production at Zuidplein Theater in Rotterdam.

About “The Myth of Men”

“The Myth of Men” was shot using innovative production methods alongside Leica’s unparalleled cinematic lenses, enabling Polat to create stunning moving images and stills. The visual representation and narrative of Polat’s project is characteristic of an experimental documentary, portraying people from different geographies bearing different identities, while remaining accessible and evocative of its theme. In its iteration at Leica Gallery Boston, Polat presents a video and photographic installation revealing the multiple layers of manhood presented in “The Myth of Men”. Polat immerses himself in multiple situations and happenings and takes on a personal approach beginning from the character’s social status and identity, down to their relationship with the city, ways of living, traditions, and individual perspectives.

About Ahmet Polat

Born in 1978, Turkish-Dutch photographer Ahmet Polat graduated from St. Joost Academy, the Netherlands and continued his carrier in Istanbul and the Netherlands. Polat became the first Turkish photographer to win the “Young Photographer” award at the 22th Infinity Awards organized by the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. His book “Kemal’s Dream” was introduced at Unseen Amsterdam in 2012. In 2013, he was nominated for the Dutch Doc Award – the most comprehensive photography award in the Netherlands – with “Kemal’s Dream” and “Esmer Ay”. He was granted the “Photography Ambassador of the Netherlands” title by the Fotoweek Photography Festival organized nationally in the Netherlands. Ahmet Polat has held various solo exhibitions at galleries,
museums and biennales in different cities of the Netherlands and Turkey, and attended group exhibitions and fairs since 2001. Polat has shot advertising and fashion photographs for international magazines including Vogue Turkey and France, Harper’s Bazaar, Paris Match, Marie Claire, New York Times, Quest and Vice.

About The Leica Gallery Boston

Opened in 2016, The Leica Gallery Boston strives to bring world-class art to the residents and visitors of Boston, following Leica’s long tradition of excellence and commitment to quality in cameras, lenses, and photojournalism. By curating exhibits from world-famous photographers and hosting special engagements with featured artists, as well as offering the immensely popular Leica Akademie workshops for one-of-a-kind, immersive experiences, Leica Gallery Boston provides unique and eye-opening programming to further this mission.

Agenda

March 1, 6pm – 9pm | Opening Reception “The Myth of Men” | Leica Gallery Boston

March 2, 5pm – 7pm | Artist Talk | Leica Gallery Boston

March 3, 10am – 6pm | Leika Akademie Workshop “Reframing the Frame: Reflective Visual Storytelling” with Ahmet Polat | Leica Gallery Boston

March 4, 10am – 6pm | Leika Akademie Workshop “Reframing the Frame: Reflective Visual Storytelling” with Ahmet Polat | Leica Gallery Boston