Oğuzkan consisting of 34 art pieces exclusively created with original techniques and creativity for the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts have been opened by the Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy.
According to the press release issued by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations of Near East University, Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy, Founding Rector Dr. Suat İ. Günsel, Vice Rector, Head of Institute, deans, academicians, artists and guests attended the opening ceremony of the two separate exhibitions. Furthermore, it was stated that Vice Rector of Near East University Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Turkish Cypriot ceramic artist Türksal İnce, artist Taylan Oğuzkan and Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy each made a speech.
Prof. Tamer Şanlıdağ: “To support the artist is to invest in the future of societies.”
In his speech, Vice Rector of Near East University Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ stated that art existed since the beginning of humanity and art has been known to everyone since people first appeared. Furthermore, he referred to Barnett Newman’s statement “the first man was an artist”. Prof. Şanlıdağ, said that from the first people to this day, people have always conveyed their feelings, thoughts and perspectives to events through art. He then referred to Tolstoy theory of art “Art is a human activity, consisting in this, that one person consciously, by certain external signs, conveys to others feelings he has experienced, and other people are affected by these feelings and live them over in themselves”.
In addition to the above, Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ staed that supporting artists is to invest in the future of societies and added that great leaders support artists by making special works in this field. Furthermore, he stated that countries with a strong sense of art and strong artists who can compete internationally have the power to make their voices heard in the world. He stated it is evident that the extent to which international artist and international artistic activities created publicity.
Prof.Şanlıdağ: “Both artists made great sacrifices and suffered for their country”
“Two Turkish Cypriot ceramic-art artists Türksal İnce and Taylan Oğuzkan. In 1974, all the work of Türksal İnce was destroyed during the 1974 Peace Operation and therefore, had to work hard to create new works of art. As for Taylan Oğuzkan, he continued his life in England after the 1974 Peace Operation. Furthermore, due to uncertainty, he postponed his graduation from Istanbul Fine Arts Academy Painting Department indefinitely. In 1982, he graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Faculty Painting Department with a master’s degree. Then he moved to Australia and 1994, he moved back to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Both made great sacrifices on behalf of their country and suffered great pain. I would like to greet them with gratitude and greet all you art lovers with great respect.”
Taylan Oğuzkan: “We cannot live without art and also, life and civilization cannot be created without art.”
Turkish Cypriot Taylan Oğuzkan, stated that the history of art goes back to the history of humanity; in other words, art has been created since the existence of humanity. He pointed out that what discriminated us humans from animals was our ability to create. He said: “We cannot live without art. We cannot create a civilisation without art. Culture is created by living and reproduced by producing.”
Taylan Oğuzkan: “We are experiencing a new renaissance.”
Oğuzkan said: “The value of cave paintings created 40.000-50.000 years ago and what is today is constantly rising. In other words, the work of art does not lose its value, but gains value. What the Founding Rector of Near East University Dr. Suat İ. Günsel done is highly precious; and in fact, it is something that the state has not accomplished. I am sure this step taken by Dr. Suat İ. Günsel will continue to gain further value. It is like we are experiencing another period of renaissance. When you look at these artworks, do not ask what do you understand from them and try to make sense of them yourself. There is no such thing as a bad artwork, only ones that are better than the others.”
Türksal İnce: “I named my artwork `marks’ Marks prior to and after 1974.”
Turkish Cypriot artist Türksal İnce expressed that he was very excited and that he had a grandchild early morning that day. He added that the fact that his personal exhibition was being opened on the same day was like a double joy for him. He said:
“I named my artwork `marks`, marks prior to and after 1974. Why 1974? Because in 1974, I died to try to resurrect, and I made a great effort to try to resurrect. All my pictures and even the document I graduated from the university burned. I didn't have a single picture to express myself, and to prove that I was an artist. I just kept a picture which was torn apart. The war section of the “Peace-War” was all torn apart. There was a skeleton in the peace part, which was torn apart, but nothing else happened to the birds, the flowers, the beautiful things. . It was an interesting picture, I still keep it at home.
When you look at my art, this is what you will see. When you look at the marks it left on me, if you see a dervish, I leave this comment to you as my friend Taylan suggested. I have been doing research on the sea and underwater since the early years in the sea in Famagusta. You will see marks related to those. Then, there is an expression regarding the new Famagusta harbour, related to the Arap Ali epic. Aşık Veysel and Nazım Hikmet are figures who have left their marks on me. This is the reason why I named my exhibition “marks”.
In the speech of Minister of Economy and Energy, Hasan Taçoy said that when he entered the exhibition hall, he saw Aşık Veysel and Nazım Hikmet and thought about the expressions that came to his mind with his own interpretation and words about how to go on a long thin road. He said:
“When I turned around, I looked at Gülhane Park, which stands in the shade of a plane tree. When I go a little beyond that, in the case of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus I saw the shaping of the folk song known with the legendary Arab Ali, one of the most epic stories of the pain and suffering of our people. These are all the things our past is reminiscent of, perhaps most of us were not born in those days, but those days have happened. There is a way in which these beauties will move forward, where those beauties will find meaning and that is the art itself. It is something that can be audible and visual, and can come to the point where the influence of the human being in every way of art with its own self can move much more sensationally and sensitively to that creativity. Today, we were able to find ourselves in this exhibition in a very different sense. It is necessary to see what mankind is doing to gain its own self and how that pain, that anguish, is reflected on a piece of canvas, a piece of paper, to somehow carry the emotions it brings to the future. It's really different to make sense of it and to feel what that person felt when he was creating it with the touches of that painting brush. It is a very different feeling to feel the warmth of the meaning and importance given in that tiny canvas, whether it is grey or rainy, no matter how rainy it is.”
Minister Taçoy: “I am sure that due to you and the Near East University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will have great contributions.”
Taçoy said: “There is something being done; there is an area of 20,000 square meters, there is something bodily and there is a treasure in this area. Dear sir, I would like to kindly ask you to put safe doors to this place because this huge place is literally a place where a great treasure of thought lies, a museum. I would like to address it as the largest museum in the world and I would like to express how different the founders of this treasure are. This is because if not today, tomorrow, and if not tomorrow the day after the works here, the treasure here will come to life in a very different way. Therefore, what you and artists have left here, invaluable art-pieces with an invaluable thinking and richness of works, all this will make a great contribution to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. I would like to express many thanks to you and the Near East University. Thank you heartily for bringing this beautiful work to the world's giant brand, and to you for being a part in this all.”
Fergâni Award and Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the artists, busts were opened and exhibition ribbons were cut
Subsequent to the speeches, Taylan Oğuzkan and Türksal İnce, whose personal exhibitions were to be opened, were presented the Fergâni award by the Minister of Economy and Energy; award given to artists within the scope of Alasya awards. Then the busts of the artists were opened, and the ribbons of the exhibition were cut. The exhibitions will be open to visit until 20th December 2019 at 08:00-16:00 on weekdays at the exhibition hall of the Faculty of Dentistry of Near East University.
