ISTANBUL (AA) : The exhibition “Veysel Gider, Adı Kalır” (“Veysel Passes Away, Yet His Legacy Remains”) has opened at the Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum, showcasing a collection of items from the family of the famous folk poet Aşık Veysel Şatıroğlu on the 50th anniversary of his death.
Serdar Çam, the deputy minister of culture and tourism, expressed that the exhibition was prepared by the ministry as a mark of respect to Aşık Veysel, who gave meaning to life with his inner vision. He noted that Aşık Veysel had become a legendary figure worldwide, transcending national boundaries. “The body of work produced by the poet with his instrument and lyrics, characterized by simplicity and devoid of ostentation, containing touching and philosophical depths, has become a precious part of humanity’s common heritage, combined with captivating Anatolian melodies,” Cam said.
Çam emphasized that a comprehensive effort had been made to ensure that this great value was appropriately represented in the exhibition. He reiterated that the exhibition had previously been open to the public in Istanbul and Izmir. Çam expressed his gratitude to all those involved in preparing the exhibition.
Aşık Veysel’s granddaughter, Nazender Süzer Gökçe, mentioned that the exhibition featured wet-signed photographs by Ara Güler, Fikret Otyam, Isa Çelik, Ozan Sağdıç, Ergun Çağatay, Mustafa Türkyılmaz, as well as photographs from the Anadolu Agency (AA) archives.
“Together with the paintings of Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Eren Eyüboğlu and Rahmi Pehlivanlı, who were my grandfather’s old friends, we are exhibiting a portion of my grandfather’s collection, including his vinyl records, cassettes, CDs and previously unpublished books. At the entrance of the hall, we have the Aşık Veysel statue created by sculptor Alper Çınar, as well as the original mask taken from my grandfather’s face by Yusuf Toprak immediately after his passing, exhibited for the first time within the scope of this exhibition,” Gökçe said.
Following the speeches, visually impaired musician Ahmet Dumlupınar gave a mini-concert, performing some of Aşık Veysel’s works.
The exhibition aims to pass on Aşık Veysel’s life, interviews, articles and news to future generations, considering UNESCO declaring 2023 as the “Year of Aşık Veysel.” It includes photographs captured by AA correspondents, portraying Veysel alongside other master artists. The exhibition also presents the four-volume book “Basında Aşık Veysel” (“Aşık Veysel in the Press”), prepared in Braille for the visually impaired, and introduces the audio version of the same book, narrated by theater actors.
Besides, the film “Karanlık Dünya” (“The Dark World”), which realistically portrays life in Anatolia and features Aşık Veysel, is being presented for the first time at this exhibition, delighting the audience.
The exhibition will be open for visitation until Aug.27.
