The International Community of Artists in Szigetvár moved to the Yunus Emre Institute of Turkish Culture in Budapest for three weeks. With the participation of the Representative Office of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest, the Community displayed an exhibition under the title “The Key to Szigetvár”. Mustafa Aydoğdu, the Director of the Yunus Emre Institute of Turkish Culture in Budapest, H.E. Ambassador János Hóvári, the Head of the Representative Office of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest, Klára Halmos, the Secretary of the Kapos ART Association of Graphic and Applied Arts, and the President of the International Community of Artists in South Danubia, all took part in the closing event of the Exhibition, called by the painters as “finissage”.
Mustafa Aydoğdu, the Director of the host Institute expressed his pleasure that the paintings of “The Key to Szigetvár” Exhibition were displayed in the Yunus Emre Institute for three weeks. He thanked the representatives of the Community of Artists for bringing their works to the Institute where a high number of visitors were able to view them. As the Director said, the Institute was planning long-term cooperation with the artists from Szigetvár. As a sign of this, he announced that they have been invited to an exhibition in Turkey. Since 2024 will be the Year of Hungarian–Turkish Friendship, the recent Exhibition and the cooperation with Szigetvár should be seen in the framework of that.
Speaking about the Exhibition, János Hóvári said that it was a great honor that an international community of artists that calls Szigetvár its home was able to display its works in the Yunus Emre Institute in Budapest. This event proves that the cultural ties between Hungary and Turkey have steadily been developing. The Head of the Representative Office of OTS expressed his special thanks to András Kelemen, a former State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry and Member of Parliament for his activities in the 1990s in the field of the cultural cooperation between the two countries.
In her closing remarks, Klára Halmos thanked the hosts and the OTS for their kind assistance. She was pleased that the works of the Community of Artists will be able to be displayed in Turkey. The International Community of Artists in Szigetvár has been established as a result of wide cooperation. The Secretary of Kapos ART emphasized that they had been accepted by Szigetvár, and artists from all around Hungary and abroad keep coming to their workshops. “Our next event will be held in August, and we look forward to it. Szigetvár enchants us – its atmosphere is fantastic. The colors of the town, its landscape and all the inhabitants exert inspiration on all the artists”, said Klára Halmos.
Closing the finissage in the Yunus Emre Institute, singer Szabolcs Róka – the holder of the Prize of Tinódy Lute – and his son, Bálint performed Hungarian and Turkish melodies from the 16th–17th centuries.
Photos: Kristóf Z. Markovics
