Along with the “Fine Arts July Exhibition”, the 150-piece “Memory of the Soil from Neolithic to the Middle Ages” exhibition, consisting of original copies of 7 thousand-year-old ceramic works of Cyprus, can also be visited at the Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall.
Consisting of the artworks of 20 award-winning academic artists of the Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, the “Fine Arts July Exhibition” was opened at the Near East University Atatürk Culture and Congress Center Exhibition Hall with the participation of President Ersin Tatar. The exhibition will be open to visitors free of charge until September 20 and consists of 50 artworks of paintings, sculptures, ceramics and printmaking.
Before the opening of the exhibition, President Ersin Tatar visited the “Memory of the Soil from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages” exhibition, consisting of 150 pieces of replicas of Cyprus ceramic works made with original techniques by Rauf Ersenal, the originals of which were taken out of the island during the British period and scattered all over the world, from the British Museum to the Metropolitan Museum.
At the opening ceremony of the 464th exhibition of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, President Ersin Tatar, Rector of Near East University Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ and Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design Dean Prof. Dr. Erdal Aygenç made speeches.
Ersin Tatar: “Art is the most effective way to carry the past to the future. “This knowledge created by the Near East University and the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts will carry us into the future.”
Speaking at the opening of the “Fine Arts July Exhibition”, President Ersin Tatar spoke on the Peace and Freedom Day, which was celebrated with ceremonies last week, and said, “We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation with the participation of the President of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and a large delegation accompanying him. In this ceremony, we underlined that we are progressing by strengthening the TRNC as a fully-fledged state in education, science and health.”
Stating that the achievements and productivity of Near East University build a bridge between the past and the future, President Ersin Tatar said, “Art is the most effective way to carry the past to the future. This knowledge created by the Near East University and the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts will carry us into the future.”
President Tatar said “Human being consists of emotion, thought and creativity”, and emphasized that art is even more important in the age of technology we live in. President Tatar said, “When you look at a picture, everyone derives different meanings from a different window. You can convey a narrative or idea that can be expressed in thousands of pages by just making a picture. Thus, in today’s age, producing art and carrying it into the future is a very important task. I congratulate Near East University and the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design for successfully fulfilling this task.”
Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ: “The scientific and artistic productivity we have is a result of our determination to show the whole world the respected place that our country, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, deserves in a way that cannot be denied.”
At the beginning of his speech, Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation and emphasized the importance of education, science and art in a country’s international reputation. Stating that an environment where education, science and art are intertwined will contribute to the development of society and gain global prestige, Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ stated that the power in these areas, as well as the political balances, would play a major role in the recognition of the TRNC. Emphasizing the worldwide effects of the success of Near East University, an international campus university with students from 143 countries, in scientific and artistic production, Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ stated that the international higher education rating results announced in recent weeks clearly demonstrate this success.
Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ said, “In the ‘2023-2024 World Field Rankings’ announced by METU URAP this week, NEU shown as the top university in Northern Cyprus that is ranked in the most titles: Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Information and we are among the best universities in the world in the fields of Computer Sciences, Technology, Biological Sciences and Chemical Sciences, and Medicine and Health Sciences. Moreover, we are among the top three foundation universities in Turkey in 9 of these 10 fields.”
Drawing attention to the importance of artistic productivity as well as academic achievements, Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ said, “The Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, which brings together over 100 thousand works of nearly 3 thousand artists under the same roof, and our exhibitions, the 464th of which we opened, are another vein that feeds our scientific productivity.”
The diligence and productivity that bring these results into life are not just a result of our academic responsibilities. This is also a result of our country’s determination to show the respected place that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus deserves to the whole world in a way that cannot be denied. I hereby express my gratitude to the Founding Rector of Near East University, Dr. Suat İrfan Günsel and Near East Enterprises Board of Trustees Chairman Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel.”
Prof. Dr. Erdal Aygenç: “Art is one of the most powerful ways to express our feelings and thoughts. We are delighted to support and spread this power.”
Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design Dean Prof. Dr. Erdal Aygenç started his opening speech by addressing art lovers and said, “While visiting our exhibition, perhaps one or more of these works will leave deep traces in your memory. My wish from you is to keep some of these important words about art in mind while you get lost in the magical world of art.” Expressing some of these words, Prof. Dr. Erdal Aygenç said, “’If art did not exist, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable’, ‘I do not say everything, but I paint everything’ and ‘When I say artist, I mean those who create things; some with a brush, some with a shovel, some with a pen.”
“Our 464th exhibition, which we have opened now, is a strong indicator of Near East University’s understanding of art, culture and values,” said Prof. Dr. Erdal Aygenç, and added; “Art is one of the most powerful ways to express our feelings and thoughts. We are very happy to support and spread this power. As you get lost in the magical world of art, I hope that each work will inspire you with different emotions and thoughts, and I wish you a pleasant exhibition tour.”
