Nearly 150 years have passed since Jules Verne’s stellar stories left his Paris apartment to take the world’s imagination. He dreamt of a mission to our distant Moon, an uninterrupted journey around the earth and the depths of the oceans. Since then, humanity has realised many of Verne’s vast sci-fi aspirations.

Space races that started with the Moon and went as far as the orbit of Mercury, submarine journeys, skydiving from space… Science is driven by the desire to explore the depths of the universe, to understand this system that works in perfect harmony.

A Quiet Parade of the Cosmos was designed with inspiration from Jules Verne’s books. The contemporary artists featured in the exhibition create an illusion that offers a glimpse into the magical side of the universe in the tranquil atmosphere of St. Benoit. Istanbul-based live performer, sound artist, and installation designer Can Memişoğulları’s composition Kor / Ember, written exclusively for the exhibition, was inspired by the book “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”. The powerful audio-visual experience that permeates the space. Beyond its poetic beauty, Parisian photographer Marguerite Bornhauser’s Back to Dust series is a confrontation with the perception of time and reality. Producing multidisciplinary, experimental works, Arek Qadrra’s Journey N1 explores the unraveling and ambiguity of possible stories that are re-constructed with each experience, in a science-fiction approach.

Marguerite Bornhauser, Can Memişoğulları, Arek Qaddra, Georges Méliès, Jules Verne Archive

5-15 October 2023

St. Benoit Church

Open everyday 10:30 – 20:00