The most important element of civilization is intercultural dialogue. In our 54th Grand Exhibition, this year, we are presenting a total of 220 artists, with 30 artists from 9 different countries including Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, South Korea, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Russia.
As the largest artist organization in our country, we take great pride in providing opportunities for artists from different countries in the BRHD Grand Exhibition, and we are delighted to share the honor of having our guest artists with us.
This year, we bid farewell to two of our great artistic pillars who have passed away. Our esteemed members, Prof. Zafer Gençaydın, who served as the president of our association from 1982 to 1986 and was a remarkable mentor in both art and thought, and Prof. Mustafa Ayaz, who joined our association in 1970, contributing greatly to both our organization and the country’s art scene. The legacy they left behind is undoubtedly a practical lesson on “what it means to be an artist,” one that cannot be found in books, but rather in their lives and work.
We take great pride in awarding Honorary Awards to our esteemed members Gülsen Erdoğan, Hasan Akın, Nihat Kahraman, Serap Etike, Suna Özkalan, and Tayyar Eren, whose contributions to our association and the country’s art scene have been invaluable. We are truly fortunate to have them among us, and sharing this joy with you all will undoubtedly make our entire association proud.
Additionally, I would like to emphasize that the decision to award Kim Yongmoon, Faculty Member at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, and Erdal Beşikcioğlu, the Mayor of Etimesgut and Artist, for their contributions to our country’s art life was made unanimously by our board of directors, with almost no discussion.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our esteemed members, the world’s finest artists, who have contributed to the realization of our International Guest 54th Grand Exhibition, as well as to the guest artists from abroad who have supported our exhibition. Our sincere thanks go to Mr. Hüseyin Can Güner, the Mayor of Çankaya, for his unwavering support, to Mr. Ethem Torunoğlu, the Director of Culture and Social Affairs, and to the dedicated staff of the department, to the esteemed curators of Doğan Taşdelen Cultural and Art Center, and to the valuable employees. We also wish to thank the art enthusiasts and supporters who have stood by us at every event.
On behalf of our board of directors and the association, we thank you all and look forward to many more exhibitions together. With the guiding light of the contemporary civilization torch ignited by Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and in the spiritual presence of the founding members, who were among the first children of our glorious Republic, we reaffirm our commitment to remain the face of the arts for secular, democratic, and modern Turkey.
I extend my warmest regards to everyone.
Süleyman Dodi Dündar
President
