The International King Midas Exhibition organized as part of the Capital Culture Road Festival, is opened in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. It's also announced in the opening of the exhibition that the center of Phrygian culture that continued its existence in Anatolia until the Roman era, the Ancient City of Gordion is entered the List of World Culture Heritages.
PROF. DR. NADİRE ŞULE ATILGAN / ASSOC. PROF. DR. MUTLU BASKAYA
As part of the Capital Culture Road Festival, the International King Midas Exhibition under the curatorship of Prof. Dr. Nadire Sule Atilgan and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mutlu Baskaya, is opened in the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The opening began with the speeches of Director of Museum of Anatolian Civilizations Yusuf Kirac on behalf of the T.R. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Assistant General Director of Fine Arts Alper Ozkan, Hacettepe University Faculty of Fine Arts Dean Prof. Dr. Nadire Sule Atilgan and Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Guran. Later on, a concert is given by HU Ankara State Conservatory Assistant Director Prof. Dr. Cenk Guray Cura and Ata Sivaci in guitars and Jau Nigges in baroque flute. The art works bearing inspirations from the mythical King Midas of the Ancient City of Gordion and the Phrygian culture, is opened to visits between 16th September - 01st October 2023 with the participations of national and international guest artists. Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Batuhan Mumcu, with numerous art lovers and tourists visited this exhibition. In the interactive workshop organized on Gordion themed ceramic forming techniques as a part of the same event, international guest artists created ceramic works together with the audience and the museum staff. Kim Yongmoon from Korea, Viacheslav Pasynok from Ukraine and Mutlu Baskaya from Turkey participated in the workshop.
Sultan Burcu Demir
Phrygian culture that continued its existence in Anatolia until the ancient Roman era, has been a ground in the constitution of Ancient Roman and Greek cultures like other Anatolian civilizations. In order to tend to make the Ancient City of Gordion, one of the most important historical site of the Capital City Ankara, enter the List of World Culture Heritages and remark this historical event, the King of Ancient City of Gordion, Midas has been chosen as the theme of this exhibition. Museum Director Yusuf Kirac announced in the opening of the exhibition that the Ancient City of Gordion entered the List of World Culture Heritages.
Character design in the guide of King Midas
Midas Yazlikaya Open Air Sanctuary as one of two important centers of Phrygians together with Gordion (Yassihoyuk), is the most significant tour point in Phrygian valley called Phrygian Highland. King Midas, also known as Mita the King of Mushki in Assyrians, is the most important Phrygian king between 738 BC - 696 BC. He has been mentioned in several mythological stories including also the Ancient Greek and Roman mythologies that shapes the world literature. Most well-known of these are the Midas who turns everything he touches into gold and has donkey ears. These stories have inspired many artists and made them create art works. There are also many theatrical productions displayed about Midas and Gordion.
Sercan Filiz (Above on the left) Tuba Merdeş (top in the middle) Janina Myronova (above on the left behind), Kim Yongmoon (above left front) Banu Bulduk (below on the left), Nadire Şule Atılgan (below in the middle) Aykut Öz below on the right)
What's purposed with this project is character design in the guide of King Midas which may be a source for 21st century's cultural industries, and that is the most important part of a story telling. Character development and design is also a crucial literate term for writers. Character design in literature states for the process of creating and developing a fictional character within a narrative. It involves creating their physical appearance, personal traits, backgrounds, motivations and general roles in the story. An effective character design is very important to draw the attention of readers or the audience when implemented to visual arts and to bring the narrative into life. The first example of a character is the cunning Odysseus in Homer's epic narrative. Phrygia's Mythical King Midas who is believed to have lived between 738 BC - 696 BC, has a life and death mentioned in myths, became famous for his lust and greed but also has discrepancies with his shyness and courtesy, is just the right person to be characterized.
A good character design in visual arts, comes to life by visualizing the character's goals, incidents they experienced, personal traits, physical capacities and conditions and obstacles and conflicts they come across on a character. A character artist looks at the character stories in the animation, film and digital game sectors in general, makes visually depicted characters relatable by the audience without narrating the unbelievable scenes and stories and binds a consumer with the story. Character design is also a significant and effective art approach used by modern artists for the 21st century.
The most famous Phrygian King; known as Mita of Mushki by Assyrians, King Midas who has been mentioned in several mythological stories including also the Ancient Greek and Roman Myths, lived between 738 BC - 696 BC; is re-interpreted with the International King Midas Gordion event of Hacettepe University Faculty of Fine Arts. Famous for his ability to turn everything he touches into gold and with his donkey ears, the stories of King Midas is approached to develop new art works with 2 and 3 dimensional products in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations as part of the Capital Culture Road Festival and within the scope of ARTOYS which shapes several cultural products considered also as 21st century sculptures such as digital games, animations and fantastic film sectors. The Phrygian culture that continued its existence in Anatolia until the Ancient Roman era, is re-designed by national and international elite guest artists for the culture of 21st century.
Artists Who Participated in the Exhibition:
Candan Terwiel (Hacettepe University)/ Mustafa Salim Aktug (Hacettepe University) / Kaan Canduran (Hacettepe University)/ Elif Varol Ergen (Hacettepe University) / Murat Devrim Atilgan (Baskent University) / Atila Isik (Hacettepe University) / Bugra Ozer (AHBV University)/ Banu Bulduk Turkmen (Hacettepe University) / Seza Soylucicek Vurgun (Hacettepe University) / Mehmet Maden (Hacettepe University) / Tuba Merdese (Hacettepe University)/ Melisa Engineri (Hacettepe University) / Sercan Filiz / Aykut Oz (State Opera and Ballet) / Ilhan Marasali (Hacettepe University)/ Soner Pilge (Hacettepe University)/ Kim Young Moon (Korea-Hacettepe University)) / Ivan Fizer (Ukraine) / Pasynok Viacheslav Slavik (Ukraine) / Janina Myronowa (Ukraine) / Thatree Muangkaew (Thailand)/ Nadire Sule Atilgan (Hacettepe University) / Mutlu Baskaya (Hacettepe University)/ Sultan Burcu Demir (Hacettepe University) / Deniz Yesim Talug Demiriz (Hacettepe University) / Fatih Kurtcu (Hacettepe University)
