The Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year in Ankara continued with two major events
Outstanding events of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year in Ankara In the spirit of Hungary's EU Presidency and in the framework of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year 2024, a large-scale exhibition showcasing Gábor Kovács's art collection was opened at the Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum on 7 July 2024. The exhibition with the title "Serene Skies, Turbulent Times" covers the 100 years of Hungarian painting from about 1820 to 1920. Gábor Csaba, Deputy State Secretary for Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation gave a speech at the opening ceremony, which was attended by nearly 200 people. The evening closed with a gala performance by the Budapest Operetta Theatre.
The exhibition covers more than a century of Hungarian art, from the initial moments of the search for national identity to the emergence of local interpretations of modern European trends. The display is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the Kovács Gábor Collection and the Ankara Resim ve Heykel (Painting and Sculpture) Museum within the framework of the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year 2024.
Opening speeches were delivered by Ambassador Viktor Mátis, art collector Gábor Kovács (Kogart), Erkan Tarhan, Deputy Head of the Department of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Gábor Csaba, Deputy State Secretary for Cultural Diplomacy, and Burhan Kayatürk, Chairman of the EU Legislative Harmonization Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The speakers praised Hungarian-Turkish relations, commemorated the 2024 Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Year and the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2024. The painting exhibition will be on display in Ankara until 26 August 2024.
The evening was closed in a historic auditorium inside one of Ankara's first theatres, by the Gala Show of the Budapest Operetta Theatre. The Budapest Operetta Theatre is one of the most renowned and prominent musical theatres in the Hungarian and international art scene. The theatre, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024, authentically represents the Hungarian operetta in Budapest and around the world with its tradition and modern artistic spirit. With new operettas and musical performances and international guest performances, the operetta theatre achieved great success from Dubai to the United States of America and across Europe. The theatre, located in the heart of Budapest, is also a favourite meeting place for public figures, intellectuals, creative and performing artists, as well as opinion leaders from the cultural world and members of diplomatic corps. The theatre's performance in Ankara featured some of the best-known melodies by the most popular composers and was a huge success.
