May 18 - June 30

Contraband and An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar

Taryn Simon

Taryn Simon’s first solo exhibition in Istanbul. 

Contraband is an archive of global desires and perceived threats, presenting 1,075 images of items that were detained or seized from entering the United States from abroad. Captured by Simon during five days at JFK International Airport, some of these items are rather familiar, such as knockoff handbags, drugs and Cuban cigars; while others are quite unexpected, such as various animal specimens, eggshells and dog treats.

A selection from An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Contraband Room, which has given rise to the Contraband series, is also displayed at the exhibition. By capturing hidden and inaccessible spaces such as the CIA headquarters and a nuclear waste storage facility, Simon reveals unfamiliar and uncanny aspects of the present day American culture and confronts the divide between expert and public access. (...)