Central Library, Grand Lobby
Photographs by Sedat Pakay
Celebrating James Baldwin’s centennial, the exhibition Turkey Saved My Life - Baldwin in Istanbul, 1961–1971 captures an exceptionally fertile period for the incomparable Baldwin, defined by his sojourn to a country that would allow him to gain critical distance from, and new perspectives on, America, particularly its poisonous racism and homophobia. Consisting of sweeping photographs by Turkish photographer Sedat Pakay, one of Baldwin’s close friends, the exhibition provides an intimate travelogue portrait of an understudied yet pivotal time in Baldwin’s life.
James Baldwin cultivated his lucid and outspoken voice in the Civil Rights movement and as an artist in Istanbul. After initially seeking personal solace in Paris, Baldwin traveled further afield to Turkey to find it and, in the process, became one of the few Western writers to observe the complexity of Turkish society in the 1960s. He famously remarked that “Turkey saved my life!” and developed a circle of friends and welcomed other notable figures to his home there. It was in Istanbul that Baldwin The Fire Next Time, Another Country and other vital texts.
As Pakay’s transportive biographical work vividly shows, in Istanbul, Baldwin had the creative space to pen writing that brought fire and succor to an ongoing collective liberation that he so bravely and uproariously led.
BPL PRESENTS, Co-curated by Atesh M. Gundogdu
The exhibition is organized by Cora Fisher, BPL Curator of Visual Art, with Lászlo Jakab Orsos, BPL VP Arts & Culture, and Atesh Gundogdu.
Programming and commissioned essays organized by Lászlo Jakab Orsos, V.P. Arts & Culture; Meredith Walters, Asst. V.P. Programs, Events & Exhibitions; Amauta Marston-Firmino, Cultural Programs Coordinator; and Cora Fisher, Curator Visual Art, with contributions by Joel Whitney, Curator for Literary Programs, and Vanessa Baish, Administrative Asssociate.
Event Production by Gregg Richards, AV Digital Media, Jamar Vailes, Operations Manager; and Vanessa Baish, Administrative Associate. Photography by Gregg Richards.
About Sedat Pakay
Photographer and filmmaker Sedat Pakay (1945-2016) was born in Istanbul, Turkey and was a graduate of Robert College in Istanbul. He studied with the legendary photographer Walker Evans at the Yale School of Art, where he received his MFA degree in 1968. Pakay's photographs have been exhibited and published internationally. Since 1967, he had an ongoing project shooting portraits of well-known artists including his friend, James Baldwin, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Josef Albers, Gordon Parks, and countless others. His work has been collected by the MoMA and Smithsonian Museum and has aired on PBS. His film works include James Baldwin: From Another Place, 1970, Josef and Anni Albers: Art is Everywhere, and Walker Evans/ America.
Exhibition-Related Programs
James Baldwin Exhibition Opening & Panel Discussion
December 12, 2024
Baldwin at 100 Film Series
Jan 10, 2025:
From Another Place
Sedat Pakays' beautiful short film of Baldwin candidly discussing his life and work.
Price of The Ticket
Documentary, directed by Karen Thorsen and Douglas K. Dempsey
U.S., 1989, 87 min
January 11, 2025:
Meeting the Man: Baldwin in Paris
Documentary, directed by Terence Dixon
France/U.K., 1970, 27 min
If Beale Street Could Talk
Feature, directed by Barry Jenkins
U.S., 2018, 119 min
Image: Baldwin sitting in a Triumph Herald on the Bosphorus Ferry © Sedat Pakay
Preview the Exhibit
This exhibition and related programming is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.