Press Conference

By Heidi Trautmann

For the fourth year, always shortly after the International Women’s Day, and while the wave of thoughts, talks and protest marches on their behalf is still fresh in everybody’s mind, women artists from various countries are invited to come to North Cyprus to work together. A statement of solidarity. I have been with them from the first workshop on to talk to them and accompany them through the days. Here the link to the last one a year ago.

http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=2575435855#.Wqff42puaUk

The curator of this event is Ipek Karagöz Denizli again, as she successfully was for the three events before; also this year she had the support of the Mayor of Girne and this year also the cooperation of the Interactive Drama Association. Ipek loves to join art events for her curiosity for other cultures; every year she herself visits other countries to take part in art workshops and she said that this year she will go to Africa for the first time.

The exchange of culture is also the aim of art workshops held in North Cyprus to learn about Cypriot culture, the beauty of our island and to meet its people and especially its artists.

On the occasion of a press conference on March 12, the artists were made welcome by the Minister of Education and Culture Cemal Özyiğit, the Director of the Cultural Department Nilay Tunçalp, the Mayor of Girne Nidai Güngördü and the organisers Ipek Karagöz Denizli and the President of the Interactive Drama Association Pervin Hürelli Sevilir. The Rector of the Ilim University in Girne, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bülent Göksel and the owner of the University Fatma Özok found warm words of welcome to the guest artists and the artists from Cyprus who will work together in the Public Library in Girne, as they did also in the years before.

The names of the artists and where they come from are mentioned on the poster. At the end of the workshop and following the exhibition at the Ismet Güney Art Centre in Nicosia on Friday 16 March at 18.30, I will give a short overview on the guest artists’ works and life.

A week of work at the Public Library lies ahead including presentations and workshops the topics of which you find on the second poster. Lunches are being served at the Ilim University in Girne (on the road to Ozanköy/Bellapais), a university of science with a warm familiar atmosphere.

In their free time the guest artists will be shown around the island and I am sure they will take home a good impression with the bright yellow of mimosa and fennel of Cypriot spring glowing over the countryside.