One Shot Istanbul by Alexander Berg

ONE SHOT is a photographic portrait project made in collaboration with the public-at-large. Working with a large-format camera, photographer Alexander Berg invites people into the studio, for free, and creates portraits with only one sheet of film, one exposure, one moment, "one shot" for each subject.

The project began in New York City in 2003 and 2006, when Berg made over 800 portraits. This work was then shown in solo exhibition at DKNY on Madison Avenue as part of a fundraiser for the Whitney Museum. In 2007, he was invited to bring ONE SHOT to Beijing to take part in the Dangdai International Art Festival in the Space 798 Arts District, during which time he created over 370 portraits.

Hosted by Contemporary Istanbul in January 2009, Berg made nearly 400 portraits with the people of Istanbul, creating ONE SHOT Istanbul; the third in a trilogy representing The West (New York), The East (Beijing), and Where They Meet (Istanbul). In creating the portraits in ONE SHOT, Berg actively encourages participation of the individuals photographed; they discuss content, mood and lighting to best express that one moment, to find the presence that exists within that slice of time. The images reveal an intimacy and immediacy that is simultaneously rare, honest, and fresh. Not only do they show a collection of individuals, but together they create a portrait of the face of Istanbul.



ONE SHOT Istanbul will be running concurrently with the 11th edition of the Istanbul Biennial at the Taksim Subway Station, Istanbul. In addition to Taksim Subway Station, a smaller selection of the project can be viewed at GAP Ýstinye Park and GAP Baðdat Street stores.

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