By Heidi Trautmann

TRNC artists are spreading their wings and are participating in many important art events in Turkey and other European countries. The arts have become an industry and are organizing themselves as such with big art events, art bi- and triennals, worldwide, following first examples in Venice and perhaps Cologne with its Dokumenta; in the meantime you find these olypmpic size art fairs all over the world, also in Asian countries such as China, Korea etc.  Turkey is very art orientated, the universities and municipalities support art and culture with the emphasis of furthering modern, experimental and conceptual art, such as for example ‘paper art’.

There is the 2^nd Izmir Art Biennale to take place as from April 1 – April 5. I was there two years ago for the first Biennale, you can read my review in my website under Cyprus Art News No. 247. The Biennale takes place on the fairgrounds in the city centre of Izmir and in five more art venues such as cultural centres, galleries and museums. What an offer of art! Visit website www.bienalizmir.org for more details and the list of participants. The TRNC will be well presented this time with 18 artists: Ismet Tatar, Inci Kansu, Emel Samioğlu, Gökçe Şekeroğlu, Eser Kececi, Ayhatun Atesin, Güner Pir, Emin Çizenel, Hikmet Uluçam, Pembe Gaziler, Aşik Mene, Mustafa Öztunç, Ilkay Onsoy, Ruhiye Onurel, Özge Refik Kutsay, Gamze Anil Baykan, Alashia. Ismet Tatar shared her art work as a preview with me.

In Kayseri, a beautiful place with old culture, we will find our paper artists Inci Kansu, Emel Samioğlu and Ismet Tatar meet with paper artists from Turkey for an exhibition at the Erciyes University at the Sabancı Cultural Centre, organized by Hakan Pehlivan also a IAPMA member (International Association of papermaking artists) just as our artists are. Hakan Pehlivan has also taken part in the IAPMA workshop in the TRNC two years ago at the Near East University. The exhibition will be from April 22 – 27.

In Norvich, England, Ismet Tatar has also joined a very important art event circling around the theme of “Washi-The Art of Japanese Paper” and IAPMA is one association to take part with an exhibition during six weeks of exhibitions, lectures and workshops. You will find the programme under www.artandsoulofpaper.com

İnci Kansu and Simge Uygur,both internationally renowned paper artists and IAPMA members participated in the exhibition MP 2013 “PAPER ART PROJECT” in Aix-en-Provence, France. Following the nomination of Marseille as Europen Capital of Culture a series of activities throughout the year of 2013 of over 400 events was created such as festivals, theatre and dance performances, folklore, street art, conferences, concerts, workshops and 60 exhibitions in various art disciplines. Inci Kansu was impressed with the offer of art and also with the determination of the French people to show their pride of their country and its famous artists and intellectuals.

An association of 30 independent galleries developed MP 2013 PAPER ART PROJECT and offered a series of exhibitions with 13 titles devoted to all forms of Paper Art. An itinerary

designed to explore the plastic diversity of paper: a support for knowledge, a medium at the

fringe of innovation and design, but also a poetic object.

İnci Kansu and Simge Uygur were among the 60 artists selected by the jury and participated in the exhibition titled: “Paper Art Design and Recup” which was in February and March.

It is an enormous task for our artists and their efforts as ambassadors in matters of art are to be recognized and honoured, also that North Cyprus has to be reckoned with.