Aykut Köksal will exhibit his black and white photographs under the title "Silence and Light" at the Milli Reasürans Art Gallery from November 15 to December 14, 2013. Köksal focuses on classical Ottoman spaces in his photographs, aiming to convey the essence of "silence" and "light" that defines these spaces through the abstract language of black and white photography. The structures toward which Köksal's camera is directed to capture silence and light are all works from the Sinan period: Süleymaniye Mosque, Üsküdar Atik Valide Complex, Şehzade Mosque, Süleymaniye Complex Râbi Madrasa, Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque, Rüstem Paşa Mosque, Kanuni Tomb, Beşiktaş Sinan Paşa Mosque, Zâl Mahmut Paşa Mosque, Azapkapı Sokollu Mosque.

Regarding the relationship between Ottoman mosque spaces and light, Aykut Köksal draws attention to the following observations by art historian Ernst Diez, whose words are featured in the exhibition: "... this spatial art, which has reached a high level of evolution in Hagia Sophia (...) has been addressed by the Ottomans as a suitable expression of their dominance, thus marking a new stage in the evolution of all Islamic mosque construction, namely the spatial lighting structure. Both factors, spatial composition and illumination, remain two major problems for Ottoman architecture, constituting the essence of their art."

In turning his attention to Ottoman spaces, Köksal underscores the timeless reality of architecture. Indeed, the title of the exhibition, "Silence and Light," echoes the title of a lecture given by the great architect of our time, Louis Kahn, in Zurich on February 12, 1969.