World Art Day opened by Culture Minister

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Ertuğrul Günay (R) poses with Mustafa Sarıgül (L) and Bedri Baykam. AA photo

World Art Day kicked off in Istanbul with Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay attended the opening ceremony of the April 15 event.

Günay visited exhibitions featuring works from many artists arranged in shop windows on Abdi İpekçi Avenue in the Nişantaşı neighborhood during the event.

Anything created with emotions is a work of art, Günay said. “If you add your feeling when doing something, it means that you are doing it for art. In this way, you enjoy what you are doing. You can express your happiness better. You can find strength to struggle against the merciless truths of life.”

Art develops in a peaceful and free environment, he said. “People can show their creativity in a peaceful environment. Of course we also need unlimited freedom to show our creativity.”

Günay said events for World Art Day began in Turkey before April 15 and would continue in celebration of it throughout the week. “This is the beginning. We have organized events in Nişantaşı, a well-known route for cultural events. I hope that next year the mayors will compete against each other to host a cultural event with a different political view.”

World Art Day events were organized with the initiation of the Association of Plastic Arts, headed by Turkey’s well known painter Bedri Baykam, who was also present at the ceremony.