Originally titled Temple Rameses II Hypostyle Hall, this work reframes Temple Rameses II archival photography as a layered meditation on time. The monumental columns of the Hypostyle Hall — built to defy erosion — are seen through a 19th century photographic record now marked by chemical decay. Sükan’s intervention does not erase deterioration; it intensifies the dialogue between architectural permanence and photographic fragility. The image becomes a convergence of civilizations: ancient Egyptian monumentality, Victorian documentation, and contemporary reinterpretation coexisting within a single visual field.
 
Dis(This) appearance Series. Memory and transformation converge in the latest work of Turkish artist Arslan Sükan. The artist rescued archival photographs from the 19th century (1890-1920), distorted by chemical decomposition, and now available again thanks to preservation and his digital intervision through his  exquisite gaze.. The past has been rediscovered, allowing fragments of it to resonate in the present. Sükan's recovery of these photographs results in a visual resurrection that perpetuates fleeting memories of the past, challenging the fragility of collective memory. The impermanence of life is represented through the tension between deterioration and restoration in these images.
Sükan's work ensures that these forgotten photographs do not disappear into oblivion, but remain alive, preserving public memory and welcoming a shared journey through time. New narratives are forged when past and present merge, with the presence and absence of decay and rebirth coexisting in a delicate balance.
Through his images, the artist ensures that historical moments do not fade into obscurity, but rather endure through a shared experience with the viewer. These photographs become a medium for past lives and stories to intersect with our present consciousness, leading us to reflect on the permanence of memory and its role in shaping our identities.
 
This Temple Rameses II archival photography offers collectors a rare convergence of ancient architecture, historical documentation, and contemporary conceptual intervention. A monumental image where time itself becomes visible. Available at The Art Design Project, Miami Beach.
 
More Sizes and Editions:
Small size: 75 H x 50 W cm. Edition 3 + 1AP 
Medium size: 100 H x 70 W cm. Edition 3 + 1AP