2.13. Culture, Art and Sports

The exhibition “Contemporary Turkish Painting and Printmaking in the Republican Era from the Art Collection of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey” was presented at Künstlerhaus GmbH in Vienna, Austria between the dates of 18 March – 7 April 2013. The exhibition illustrated the process of development and institutionalisation of Turkish painting and printmaking from the early years of the Republic to the 1950s and from the 1950s to the present, showcasing the dynamics of the development of contemporary art: from the figurative to the abstract, from the abstract to the conceptual, and from the conceptual to the neo-figurative. A special catalogue was published in Turkish, English and German to document the exhibition for future reference.

The exhibition “Times and Places, İstanbul” from the Art Collection of the CBRT was hosted by the Albanian National Gallery of Arts in Tirana, Albania between the dates of 31 May – 14 July 2013. The exhibition that presented scenes of İstanbul, the global capital, as depicted by artists explained the development of Turkish painting in a chronological system, and summarized İstanbul and its culture through works of art. A special catalogue was published in Turkish, English and Albanian to document the exhibition for future reference.

The exhibition “Aesthetic Attitude and Creative Thinking in Contemporary Turkish Painting” was held in the Russian Federation, between the dates of 4 September – 30 September 2013 at the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan and 11 October – 31 October 2013 at the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ufa. The exhibition debated the historical development of the Turkish art of painting and the transformation it has experienced in the context of the re-formed aesthetic perception within the axis of tradition and modernity. By focusing on a stage-driven process, it showed the assimilation of delayed modernist expectations and ideals through experiences related to changing social structures and continued efforts at westernization in a mental world conditioned by the eastern aesthetic.

Conjointly, with the cooperation of Hacettepe University Faculty of Fine Arts, the Art Gallery of the CBRT presented the exhibition “Anatolian Enlightenment of Art” on the concept of “Light, Water, Civilization and Intercultural Communication” between the dates of 7 February – 7 March 2013; and the exhibition “Ottoman Sultans in the Art of Ebru” consisting of portraits of “36 Ottoman Sultans” by the Ebru Master Sadreddin Özçimi from the Art Collection of the CBRT, between the dates of 1 October-12 December 2013.

In addition to cultural activities, the CBRT actively supported sporting events. The Bank hosted the “Euro Table-Tennis 2013” in İzmir on 3-6 October 2013 and the “Interbank Chess Tournament” with participations from local banks in İstanbul on 7 December 2013. The Bank’s teams attended “Euro Football” in France, “Euro Bridge” in Portugal, “Euro Tennis” in Germany, “Euro Chess” in Greece and “Euro Hiking” in Spain, organized by the central banks that are members of the Sports and Cultural Associations of the European Central Banks and also the “9th Central Banks’ Sports Tournament” hosted by the Macedonian National Bank in mini basketball, volleyball (men) and swimming branches.