My first visit to Istanbul was in 1996, shortly after graduating from the Willem de Kooning Art Academy in Rotterdam. During that trip, I spent a few days exploring the city and created the second instalment of my Virtual Journeys series. The focus of this journey was a walk from Topkapi Gate to Topkapi Palace, where I captured about 100 analog photos using my Nikon F-501 SLR Camera. These images were stored away for many years until I revisited them a few years ago and processed them for the first time. You can explore the results of that initial journey in my photo series, Virtual Journeys – Istanbul.

In a full-circle moment, last year I connected with the Yunus Emre Institute in Cologne (https://koln.yee.org.tr), who invited me to Revisited Istanbul 28 years later to document the same walk 28 years later. This time, I captured over 900 photos along the route, bringing the total to over 1,500 images documenting both the modern-day and historical beauty of Istanbul. The transformation of the city over nearly three decades is reflected in these photos, providing a unique view of Istanbul’s enduring allure and evolving landscape.

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Between the photos taken in 1996 and the ones captured in 2024, there are 12 locations where images were taken from almost the same position. These 12 photo pairs were carefully chosen to explore the contrast between the past and present, offering a unique perspective on how these locations have changed over time.

Rather than simply recreating my previous shots, I decided to experiment with merging the past and present. By layering multiple versions of the images, I created a complex overlay that shows both 1996 and 2024 photos simultaneously. This approach not only highlights the differences between the two time periods but also reveals the subtle changes in the landscape and architecture.

The result is a dynamic blend of old and new, where parts of both the 1996 and 2024 photos are shown and hidden, creating an interactive visual experience. Additionally, this process reflects my own growth as a photographer over the years. One surprising discovery was how few photos I took during the original 1996 walk compared to the detailed focus I have today, showing how my approach to photography has evolved alongside the changes in the city.

The combination of both pictures show the spirit of the past flowing into present day Istanbul.

Layering buildup

The layering process of these images follows a specific structure, allowing the viewer to experience both the past and present in a unique visual blend. The topmost layer features the 2024 image, which appears bright and clear with no overlay. Beneath this, the second layer displays the 1996 image at a transparency level ranging between 30% and 45%, revealing partial alignments of objects between the two time periods.

The alignment varies across the images; in some, only parts of a building or tree align, while in others—like the final Imperial Gate images—the alignment is almost perfect, showcasing the changes in the landscape over time. The third layer consists of a cutout of the 2024 image at 100% transparency, where parts are removed to expose the underlying layers.

Following this, the fourth layer displays the 1996 image at 80% transparency, allowing sections of the past to emerge clearly alongside the present. Finally, the last layer presents the 2024 image at 100%, which subtly ghosting the 1996 image, giving the overall composition a sense of time and motion.

To further enhance this ghosting effect, a final adjustment layer is added, shifting the red, green, and blue color channels. This color shift not only reduces the photorealism of the image but also creates a VHS video misalignment, providing a unique visual effect that evokes nostalgia and timelessness.

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The works were first presented at the Exposition „Impressionen und Stadtspuren“ Bilder zu Köln, Istanbul und Tunis. the 8th of November 2024 organised by the Städtepartnerschaft Köln-Istanbul e.V. Curated by W. Rieger and with the support of the Yunus Emre Institute and the city of Cologne. Other artists in this exhibition presenting their works were : Karin Engele, Necat Nazaroğlu, Gülüzar Cicek, Holger Schnapp, Rita Kropp, Wolfgang Rieger