Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition archives introduced to new generations

The Aydın Doğan Foundation is celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Republic with the ‘Face to Face in the Centennial’ project.

The Aydın Doğan Foundation introduced the ‘Face to Face in the Centennial’ exhibition especially prepared for the centennial anniversary of the Republic from the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition archives to the art enthusiasts at the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Arts Center.

Having hosted two important events on the same day, the Aydın Doğan Foundation, also presented awards to the artists who have ranked in the 38th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition.

For the exhibition “Face to Face in the Centennial”, organized by the Aydın Doğan Foundation on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the Republic, a selection was made through the use of universal principles among over 90,000 works in the archives of the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition. The selected works were shared with contemporary artists who were asked to re-visualize the fundamental concept in the works based on the foundation principles of our Republic. The exhibition was designed on the basis of the concept of ‘face to face via associating the works selected from the archives with the newly produced works.

Contemporary artists who have re-visualized the themes in the works selected from the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition Archives during the course of the project were chosen among the students of the university as part of the collaboration with the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts. Within this scope, the objective was to reinterpret the archives with the language of the contemporary illustration world and to make them visible through the foundation principles set forth by our Republic.

As part of the Aydın Doğan Foundation's programme to celebrate the centennial anniversary of our Republic, this special exhibition which introduces the archives of the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition to new generations, can be visited at the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Arts Center until January 31.

‘The Cartoon Oscars’ united with their winners

The Tophane-i Amire Culture and Arts Center was home to the 38th Award Ceremony of the Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition, which brings together cartoonists from all over the world annually.

During a ceremony held on January 12, the awards were presented to the cartoonists who placed in the 38th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition, referred to as the “Cartoon Oscars” worldwide. The top award went to Turkish artist Engin Selçuk, followed by second and third places for Iranian artist Mahmood Nazari and Italian artist Marco De Angelis, respectively.

The Aydın Doğan Foundation, working to support equal opportunities in all areas of the lives of girls and young women, presented Fethi Gürcan Mermertaş the special award under the title ‘Empowered Girls, Empowered Future‘, and Success Awards for Nikola Listes from Croatia, Halit Kurtulmuş Aytoslu and Şevket Yalaz from Turkey. The first place winner of the 38th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition was also given 6000 dollars and the second place winner 2500 dollars and the third place winner 1000 dollars as well as their certificates. While the artist who has won the Empowered Girls, Empowered Future Award received 6000 dollars, the three artists who have received the Success Awards were given 500 dollars each.

Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ: “We are keeping the values of the Republic alive…”

The Aydın Doğan Foundation’s Chairwoman Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ said “Considering the never-ending wars, peace we have longed for, liberties that have been whittled away, the environment we have so carelessly abused, climate crisis, forced migration and refugees, youth looking for a direction, and the situation in which women and girls, constituting the special area of interest for the Aydın Doğan Foundation, are, we do see that we have created a collective memory that contains these issues and many more. Besides, this memory is one which does not resort to words at all, and therefore does not raise its voice; a memory consisting of works that influence people and make them think with the silent power that works its way from the eyes to hearts... Our competition has always been an advocate of universal values throughout this process, and thus has enabled the injustices in the world to be brought to the limelight. As we are preparing to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Republic, looking at these works we see in those lines, in these colors, the fundamental values like tolerance, freedom of expression, equality, which have always made the Republic a Republic. As the Aydın Doğan Foundation, we are proud of having successfully held this organization 38 times, in which so many different ideas and works of art have competed in a friendly way,” in her speech at the award ceremony.

The winners of the 37th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition, for which an award ceremony could not have been held due to the pandemic, were also celebrated on the stage. After the awards ceremony, the guests also had the opportunity to visit the ‘Face to Face in the Centennial’ exhibition.

The works of art which were awarded and found worthy of exhibiting within the scope of the 38th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition can be seen at Caddebostan Cultural Center between January 13 and January 31, 2023. Furthermore, the ‘Face to Face in the Centennial’ exhibition will be held for art enthusiasts at the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Arts Center until January 31, 2023, together with the works of art that received awards in the 38th Aydın Doğan International Cartoon Competition.