The exhibition titled “Lines in Gold: Ottoman Calligraphy Art from the Sakıp Sabancı” and in which a selection from Ottoman Calligraphy Collection Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) will be on display was opened today in Madrid at Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Fernando (RABASF). Güler Sabancı, Chair Person and Managing Director of Sabancı Holding and President of the Executive Board SSM, Nazan Ölçer, SSM Director, Ender Arat, the Ambassador of Turkey to Spain, José Jiménez, Fines Arts Director of the Ministry of Culture of Spain, Dr. Victor Nieto Alcaide, Delegate of RABASF, Gema Martinez, Director of International Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and Milagros Del, Director of the Spanish National Library were participated in the press conference held on the opening day of the exhibition.
The inauguration ceremony of the exhibition which is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Spain and Sabancı Holding will be held tonight and Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertuğrul Günay and his Spanish counterpart César Antonio Molina will participate in the inauguration ceremony. The calligraphy exhibit is the first in a series of cultural activities within the scope of Turkish Views/Miradas Turcas festival organized between 15th of December 2007 and 16th of January 2008 jointly in cooperation with the Turkish Ambassadorship at Madrid and the Ministry of Culture of Spain
Güler Sabancı at the press conference held on the opening day of the exhibition and said: “We are proud of exhibiting Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Calligraphy Collection in a friendly country like Spain. The collection will also be exhibited in the city of Seville following the exhibition in Madrid. Nazan Ölçer stated that they have presented the richness of Ottoman calligraphy art to the appreciation of Europeans, and she continued her words and said: “This time, the Ottoman Calligraphy Collection from the Sakıp Sabancı Museum has arrived to the lands that are very familiar with Islam art and Islam calligraphy. These lands where east and west cultures were met and blended together, they influenced, interacted and learned from each other in every aspect of life and this interaction has added value to our cultures in different areas ranging from music to architecture. I have no doubt that our calligraphy collection will feel itself at home in a prestigious and distinguished institution like Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando”.
Ender Arat, Turkish Ambassador to Spain said “Lines in Gold organized within the context of Turkish Views Culture days and that contains works from the calligraphy collection of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum reflects the authentic artistic creativity of the Turkish people that passes from generation to generation. The exhibition and other cultural activities will mark the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Spain and opening of the Turkish embassy in Spain.
“José Jiménez stated that the Alliance of Civilizations launched by the initiatives of the Turkish and the Spanish prime ministers has developed and improved the relations and cultural dialogue between the two countries. He emphasized that it is aimed to closely know Turkish culture and to examine thoroughly through “Turkish Views” activities in order to forge collective political will and to mobilize concerted action at the institutional and social society levels to overcome the prejudice, misperceptions and polarization to militate against such a consensus and he underlined that they are proud of kicking-off the initiative with the “Line in Gold Exhibition” containing invaluable calligraphy collection of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.
The exhibition will remain open until 2nd of March 2008 and 96 works from Ottoman calligraphers who lived between the end of 15th century and the beginning of 20th century. Orhan Pamuk and Buket Uzuner, the internationally acclaimed Turkish novelists will attend to conferences that will be held as a part of the activities to be organized within Turkish Views activities and in addition to these, concerts by Kudsi Erguner and Burhan Öçal, seminars and film performances will also take place within the scope of the activities.