Tarabya to welcome German academy of art
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by İzgi Güngör
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 11, 2009 00:00
BERLIN - The German arts academy, planned to open in Istanbul, will be located in renovated buildings that are part of the huge complex of historical consulate buildings and summer residences owned by the German Embassy in Tarabya.
A German art academy is planned in Istanbul’s Tarabya neighborhood for 2010 as part of a lineup of other cultural projects to intensify the intercultural dialogue and mark the close historical ties between Turkey and Germany.
"The project aims to further connect the two cultures and create an area in Tarabya, an extremely inspiring and magnificent region on the shores of the Bosphorus, for the artists from Germany," Michael Zenner, director-general for culture and communication in the German Foreign Ministry, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
"This naturally beautiful region will serve for promoting our cultural relations and I am sure the artists from Germany will get inspiration from both this lovely area and lovely cultural city of Istanbul."
Nearly 2.5 million Turkish origin people living in Germany, which make up the largest immigrant group in the country, are an important factor in bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany. In addition to the strong ties stretching back over centuries, the presence of such a large amount of Turk in Germany also lead the two countries to attach special importance to the development of the cultural dialogue, something which the German government deems a vital instrument and bridge between the countries in overcoming global problems of all sort.
The German government likewise puts the culture at the very heart of the foreign policy as evidenced by the statements of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who emphasized the role of culture as a basic element to move people to achieve a global unity in the "People on the Move Ğ Cultural Relations Policy in the Era of Globalization," festival held during the last week of April in Berlin. "Art and culture can do something that man can’t achieve. Art and culture serve a bridge, can move emotions, bring peace and create mutual understanding," Steinmeier said.
Tarabya and 2010, symbolic for relations
Launched by Foreign Minister Steinmeier and his then Turkish counterpart Minister Abdullah Gül in 2006, the Ernst Reuter Initiative is dedicated to promote and deepen the intercultural dialogue between Germany and Turkey through projects like the German-Turkish University or the plans for a German art academy both located in Istanbul.
Germany and Turkey are thus now readying to initiate what Chancellor Angela Merkel described "a new touchstone in Germany’s foreign culture policy," the German art academy project. It is supposed to provide opportunity for art education not only for German artists but also for those with other nationalities who live in Germany.
The academy is specifically planned to serve in Istanbul’s Tarabya and in 2010, which marks Istanbul and Germany’s Essen as the European Capitals of Culture. One or two buildings of the huge complex comprised of historical consulate buildings and summer residences in Tarabya owned by the German Embassy are to be renovated and converted into an arts academy.
"Tarabya is the symbol of the Turkish and German friendship because the land in Tarabya where the historical structures are located were gifted by an Ottoman Sultan to the German Emperor in 1880 for diplomatic uses," Zenner said. "I hope this huge green area will be inspiring for the artists."
Named after Ernst Reuter, who sought refuge in Turkey from the Nazi regime during the Second World War, the ERI already has proved its fruitful results in the fields of arts, culture and the media, youth, education and integration since 2006 and Zenner thinks the anticipated German and Turkish University will also create a synergy between Turkey and Germany. Both the German and Turkish students will have the opportunity to study in the same university with Turkish and German professors. The project will also give opportunity to those who studied German in high school but couldn’t further their German education at the university level. Turkey is supposed to find a location for the university in Istanbul. Steinmeier said Turkey found the location, expressing his wish for the next steps to be taken soon in the project.
Turkish artists raise curiosity about Turkey
The both countries similarly plan to carry on joint projects for the 2010 European Capital of Culture.
Zenner said the Turks living in Germany raised Germans’ interest in Turkey but even more so it is the culture that has a crucial role in raising wonder and curiosity among Germans, German youth in particular, about Turkey. A growing number of people are paying attention and learning more about Turkey and the Turkish language thanks to the success of prominent Turkish artists such as the 2006 Nobel Prize recipient Orhan Pamuk and Fatih Akın. German translation of Pamuk’s books as well as the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2008 where Turkey was a guest of honor, considerably contributed to Turkey’s promotion in Germany.
"Pamuk is very well-known in Germany where his books are among the best sellers. He writes about Istanbul in his books which raises curiosity about the city and Turkey for Germans," he said. "Turkey is now being perceived as a country where arts and literature come from. More and more people here began to recognize that Turkey is not just a sea and sun country but a country worth seeing also for cultural and intellectual reasons."
"The project aims to further connect the two cultures and create an area in Tarabya, an extremely inspiring and magnificent region on the shores of the Bosphorus, for the artists from Germany," Michael Zenner, director-general for culture and communication in the German Foreign Ministry, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
"This naturally beautiful region will serve for promoting our cultural relations and I am sure the artists from Germany will get inspiration from both this lovely area and lovely cultural city of Istanbul."
Nearly 2.5 million Turkish origin people living in Germany, which make up the largest immigrant group in the country, are an important factor in bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany. In addition to the strong ties stretching back over centuries, the presence of such a large amount of Turk in Germany also lead the two countries to attach special importance to the development of the cultural dialogue, something which the German government deems a vital instrument and bridge between the countries in overcoming global problems of all sort.
The German government likewise puts the culture at the very heart of the foreign policy as evidenced by the statements of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who emphasized the role of culture as a basic element to move people to achieve a global unity in the "People on the Move Ğ Cultural Relations Policy in the Era of Globalization," festival held during the last week of April in Berlin. "Art and culture can do something that man can’t achieve. Art and culture serve a bridge, can move emotions, bring peace and create mutual understanding," Steinmeier said.
Tarabya and 2010, symbolic for relations
Launched by Foreign Minister Steinmeier and his then Turkish counterpart Minister Abdullah Gül in 2006, the Ernst Reuter Initiative is dedicated to promote and deepen the intercultural dialogue between Germany and Turkey through projects like the German-Turkish University or the plans for a German art academy both located in Istanbul.
Germany and Turkey are thus now readying to initiate what Chancellor Angela Merkel described "a new touchstone in Germany’s foreign culture policy," the German art academy project. It is supposed to provide opportunity for art education not only for German artists but also for those with other nationalities who live in Germany.
The academy is specifically planned to serve in Istanbul’s Tarabya and in 2010, which marks Istanbul and Germany’s Essen as the European Capitals of Culture. One or two buildings of the huge complex comprised of historical consulate buildings and summer residences in Tarabya owned by the German Embassy are to be renovated and converted into an arts academy.
"Tarabya is the symbol of the Turkish and German friendship because the land in Tarabya where the historical structures are located were gifted by an Ottoman Sultan to the German Emperor in 1880 for diplomatic uses," Zenner said. "I hope this huge green area will be inspiring for the artists."
Named after Ernst Reuter, who sought refuge in Turkey from the Nazi regime during the Second World War, the ERI already has proved its fruitful results in the fields of arts, culture and the media, youth, education and integration since 2006 and Zenner thinks the anticipated German and Turkish University will also create a synergy between Turkey and Germany. Both the German and Turkish students will have the opportunity to study in the same university with Turkish and German professors. The project will also give opportunity to those who studied German in high school but couldn’t further their German education at the university level. Turkey is supposed to find a location for the university in Istanbul. Steinmeier said Turkey found the location, expressing his wish for the next steps to be taken soon in the project.
Turkish artists raise curiosity about Turkey
The both countries similarly plan to carry on joint projects for the 2010 European Capital of Culture.
Zenner said the Turks living in Germany raised Germans’ interest in Turkey but even more so it is the culture that has a crucial role in raising wonder and curiosity among Germans, German youth in particular, about Turkey. A growing number of people are paying attention and learning more about Turkey and the Turkish language thanks to the success of prominent Turkish artists such as the 2006 Nobel Prize recipient Orhan Pamuk and Fatih Akın. German translation of Pamuk’s books as well as the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2008 where Turkey was a guest of honor, considerably contributed to Turkey’s promotion in Germany.
"Pamuk is very well-known in Germany where his books are among the best sellers. He writes about Istanbul in his books which raises curiosity about the city and Turkey for Germans," he said. "Turkey is now being perceived as a country where arts and literature come from. More and more people here began to recognize that Turkey is not just a sea and sun country but a country worth seeing also for cultural and intellectual reasons."