2005-2009
Kars Arts Center (KSM)
The Kars projects began in 2004 with Anadolu Kültür’s support for the Caucasus Cultures Festival organized by Kars Municipality in order to establish cultural collaboration in the region.
Kars Art Centre (KSM) was founded in February 2005, when the Public Education Centre within the structure of the Kars National Education Directorate was allocated to Kars Municipality. From 2005 to 2009, with a collaboration between Kars Municipality and Anadolu Kültür, Kars Art Centre served as a cultural communication centre not only for Kars, but for Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Since KSM had the only multi-purpose hall in the city, it was transformed into a centre where the people of the city came together for various reasons. From 2005 to 2009, Kars Art Centre hosted many projects with its 311-capacity multi-purpose hall with suitable infrastructure for film screenings, theatre plays and concerts, international-standard art gallery, dark room for photography work and two workshop halls.
Musicians from Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan came together with music at the opening day concert of KSM which was attended by the Ankara ambassadors of 37 countries. Citizens of different Caucasus countries, who were not given the chance to develop their relationships because of generations-long political tensions, thanks to artistic collaborations such as the ‘Young Eyes of the Caucasus Photography Project’ held at KSM, established relationships with each other without prejudice or conflict.
The Kars Art Centre, from 2005 to 2009, with the workshops, exhibitions, theatre and music performances it organized, played a role in Kars becoming a meeting centre in the city, and for the region and the Caucasus.
Some projects realized at Kars Art Centre from 2005 to 2009:
Exhibitions
• Photographs of Kars, Ertuğrul Erdem - Yıldırım Öztürkkan, 25 February - 7 March 2005
• Portraits of Women from Turkey and the World, Hatice Tuncer, 8 - 24 March 2005
• Selected Works from the Iranian Art of Photography, 1 – 21 Nisan 2005
• Football, a World Language, 14 - 30 May 2005
• Savaş Ekin: They Succeeded-Mentally Challenged Children, 11 November - 7 December 2005
• My Child World, Erdal Yazıcı, 2005
• From Women to Women –“11 Women Photographers Against Violence”, 8 – 22 March 2006
• Koçer/Nomad, Hüsamettin Bahçe, 25 March - 19 April 2006
• The Georgian House II – Adjara, Nana Meparishvili, 15 September 2006
• The Young Eyes of the Caucasus, Anna Khovshun-Kathia Jijeshvili-Mehmet Kaçmaz-Karen Emka-Mirzoyan, 2006
• Turkey at the Gates of Europe, 2007
• Ali Arif Ersen, Tres Americas Photography Exhibition, 11 October – 2 November 2008
Workshops
• The Young Eyes of the Caucasus, Özcan Yurdalan, 2005
• İsmet Koyuncu, Painting Workshop, October 2005
• İsrafil Parlak, Theatre Workshop - December 2005
• Kars Film Workshop, Hüseyin Kuzu-Uğraş Salman, 2005
• Poetry Workshop, O. Okan Avşar - İsrafil Parlak, 26 December 2005 – 18 March 2006
• Photography as Art, İbrahim Göksungur, 2006
• Kars Gülahmet Aytemiz Fine Arts High School Art and Cultural Heritage Summer School, 2006
• Kars Gülahmet Aytemiz Fine Arts High School Photography Workshop, 2007
Talks
• Özcan Yurdalan, Photography, Travel and Life, 2 May 2005
• Metin Tükenmez – Yiğiter Uluğ, Mirror of Life: Football, 14 May 2005
• Sibel Artunga, Violence against Women Can Be Stopped, 26 September 2005
• Savaş Ekin, What Does ‘Mentally Challenged’ Mean, What Can Be Done Ne, 11 November 2005
• Kamal Shakbiz, Muhammad Abbaszadeh, Photography in Iran, 2005
• İbrahim Göksungur, Art and Photography, 22 January 2006
• Şükrü Erbaş, People, Language and Culture, 24 March 2006
• Genco Erkal, Poems of Nazım Hikmet, 2006
Concerts
• Kars Art Centre Opening Concert, February 2005
• Musicians; Günay Yıldız (Kars), Emrah Nar (Kars), Kutaisi (Georgia), Suren Asatıryan (Armenia), Sema (Ankara), Envar Sadigov (Azerbaijan)
• Emin İgüs, Anatolian Tune, 3 May 2005
• Festival of Ashiks, (with the participation of 183 Ashiks) 6-7-8 May 2005
• Tango Orquestra, 5 June 2005
• “European Music from the Ottoman Palace”, Emre Aracı, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1 October 2005
• Kutaisi State Song and Dance Company, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 2 October 2005
Performances
• Illusion Performance, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1-2 October 2005
• Israel Children’s Theatre, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1 October 2005
• State Opera and Ballet General Directorate – Song Performance and Ballet Performance, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1 October 2005
• I, You, We; A State of Explosion on Stage, Azerbaijan YUG State Theatre, 3 May 2006
Kars Art Centre (KSM) was founded in February 2005, when the Public Education Centre within the structure of the Kars National Education Directorate was allocated to Kars Municipality. From 2005 to 2009, with a collaboration between Kars Municipality and Anadolu Kültür, Kars Art Centre served as a cultural communication centre not only for Kars, but for Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Since KSM had the only multi-purpose hall in the city, it was transformed into a centre where the people of the city came together for various reasons. From 2005 to 2009, Kars Art Centre hosted many projects with its 311-capacity multi-purpose hall with suitable infrastructure for film screenings, theatre plays and concerts, international-standard art gallery, dark room for photography work and two workshop halls.
Musicians from Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan came together with music at the opening day concert of KSM which was attended by the Ankara ambassadors of 37 countries. Citizens of different Caucasus countries, who were not given the chance to develop their relationships because of generations-long political tensions, thanks to artistic collaborations such as the ‘Young Eyes of the Caucasus Photography Project’ held at KSM, established relationships with each other without prejudice or conflict.
The Kars Art Centre, from 2005 to 2009, with the workshops, exhibitions, theatre and music performances it organized, played a role in Kars becoming a meeting centre in the city, and for the region and the Caucasus.
Some projects realized at Kars Art Centre from 2005 to 2009:
Exhibitions
• Photographs of Kars, Ertuğrul Erdem - Yıldırım Öztürkkan, 25 February - 7 March 2005
• Portraits of Women from Turkey and the World, Hatice Tuncer, 8 - 24 March 2005
• Selected Works from the Iranian Art of Photography, 1 – 21 Nisan 2005
• Football, a World Language, 14 - 30 May 2005
• Savaş Ekin: They Succeeded-Mentally Challenged Children, 11 November - 7 December 2005
• My Child World, Erdal Yazıcı, 2005
• From Women to Women –“11 Women Photographers Against Violence”, 8 – 22 March 2006
• Koçer/Nomad, Hüsamettin Bahçe, 25 March - 19 April 2006
• The Georgian House II – Adjara, Nana Meparishvili, 15 September 2006
• The Young Eyes of the Caucasus, Anna Khovshun-Kathia Jijeshvili-Mehmet Kaçmaz-Karen Emka-Mirzoyan, 2006
• Turkey at the Gates of Europe, 2007
• Ali Arif Ersen, Tres Americas Photography Exhibition, 11 October – 2 November 2008
Workshops
• The Young Eyes of the Caucasus, Özcan Yurdalan, 2005
• İsmet Koyuncu, Painting Workshop, October 2005
• İsrafil Parlak, Theatre Workshop - December 2005
• Kars Film Workshop, Hüseyin Kuzu-Uğraş Salman, 2005
• Poetry Workshop, O. Okan Avşar - İsrafil Parlak, 26 December 2005 – 18 March 2006
• Photography as Art, İbrahim Göksungur, 2006
• Kars Gülahmet Aytemiz Fine Arts High School Art and Cultural Heritage Summer School, 2006
• Kars Gülahmet Aytemiz Fine Arts High School Photography Workshop, 2007
Talks
• Özcan Yurdalan, Photography, Travel and Life, 2 May 2005
• Metin Tükenmez – Yiğiter Uluğ, Mirror of Life: Football, 14 May 2005
• Sibel Artunga, Violence against Women Can Be Stopped, 26 September 2005
• Savaş Ekin, What Does ‘Mentally Challenged’ Mean, What Can Be Done Ne, 11 November 2005
• Kamal Shakbiz, Muhammad Abbaszadeh, Photography in Iran, 2005
• İbrahim Göksungur, Art and Photography, 22 January 2006
• Şükrü Erbaş, People, Language and Culture, 24 March 2006
• Genco Erkal, Poems of Nazım Hikmet, 2006
Concerts
• Kars Art Centre Opening Concert, February 2005
• Musicians; Günay Yıldız (Kars), Emrah Nar (Kars), Kutaisi (Georgia), Suren Asatıryan (Armenia), Sema (Ankara), Envar Sadigov (Azerbaijan)
• Emin İgüs, Anatolian Tune, 3 May 2005
• Festival of Ashiks, (with the participation of 183 Ashiks) 6-7-8 May 2005
• Tango Orquestra, 5 June 2005
• “European Music from the Ottoman Palace”, Emre Aracı, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1 October 2005
• Kutaisi State Song and Dance Company, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 2 October 2005
Performances
• Illusion Performance, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1-2 October 2005
• Israel Children’s Theatre, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1 October 2005
• State Opera and Ballet General Directorate – Song Performance and Ballet Performance, II. Caucasus Cultures Festival, 1 October 2005
• I, You, We; A State of Explosion on Stage, Azerbaijan YUG State Theatre, 3 May 2006