Spain Talks About the Sabanci Calligraphy Collection Exhibition

- LINES IN GOLD: THE OTTOMAN CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBITION FROM THE SAKIP SABANCİ MUSEUM IN THE SPANISH PRESS

- EL PAIS: “THE GOLDEN LETTERS FORMING THE SACRED TEXTS PENNED WITH THE ELEGANT HANDWRITING INVENTED BY THE OTTOMANS, THE TRUE ORNAMENTS CONSTITUTING THE SABANCİ COLLECTION WITH THEIR HISTORY OF MORE THAN FIVE CENTURIES”

- EXPASION: “THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TURKISH CALLIGRAPHY COLLECTION NOW IN SPAIN”

- ABC: “LA ACADEMIA TO EXHIBIT THE TREASURES OF THE OTTOMAN CALLIGRAPHY”

The Exhibition titled “Lines in Gold: The Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sabanci University Sakip Sabanci Museum (SSM)” attracts considerable attention from the Spanish media. The Collection had already received coverage from the Spanish press before the opening of the Exhibition co-sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and the Sabanci Holding. Inaugurated on 10 December 2007, the Exhibition will remain open at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF), Madrid, until the beginning of March 2008.

The magazine Semanal, supplement of El Pais, one of the highest-circulated and most-influential newspapers in Spain, reserved for the Collection three pages of its issue published on the day preceding the Opening. Authored by Julia Luzán, and containing in-depth information about the history and the philosophy of Calligraphy, the article started as follows: “Lines with infinite curves, magnificent vocals. Golden letters constituting the sacred texts penned with the elegant handwriting invented by the Ottomans: The true ornaments constituting the Sabanci Collection with their history of more than five centuries.”

The article also contained the following statements: “One of the Major Turkish Businesspeople, Mr. Sakip Sabanci, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sabanci Holding, had managed to compile a collection consisting of influential samples of the Ottoman calligraphy, which are currently being exhibited in the Museum bearing his name, which is a splendid waterside mansion at Bosporus, in Emirgan-Istanbul, and which was the former summer residence of the Family. Samples from that collection were exhibited previously at the museums Metropolitan, New York; Louvre, Paris; and Guggenheim, Berlin. With the words of Ms. Güler Sabanci, Chairperson, “a special selection” from that Collection will now be available for viewing in Madrid, and then in Sevilla.”

In the article it is stated that the Collection also contains Sultans’ signatures forming the imperial monograms used to furnish the firmans and documents.

-SACRED WORDS OF THE OTTOMANS...

Following the press conference organised on occasion of the Exhibition, and largely attended by the Spanish press, news of the event have appeared in various newspapers.

Expasion announced the news under the headline: “The Worldwide Major Turkish Calligraphy Collection is Now in Spain; the Sacred Words of the Ottoman Empire.”

The preamble of the article penned by Ana Martinez reads: “The Exhibition ‘Lines in Gold: The Ottoman Art of Calligraphy from the SSM (Sakip Sabanci Museum)’ was offered to the appreciation of art lovers in the largest and major museums worldwide, before being opened in Spain: 96 works in total, enabling the visitors to penetrate deep into the Turkish culture. At the Exhibition the one thousand and one nights of the Ottoman world will be experienced, and the wonders of calligraphy will be seen at site.”

In the article where mention is also made of the focus of Ms. Güler Sabanci in social responsibility, the following statements of hers are emphasized: “Globalisation affects everything: The concept of philanthropy, as well. We have created a value of more than 1 thousand million dollars during the 34-year life of the Sabanci Foundation, and we adapted ourselves to the modern times and aimed at becoming more effective by way of using the new business criteria. Just like in business, in life, too, we must set a strategy prior to proceeding with anything, if we do not know the direction of the wind. This applies for philanthropy as well.”

The Ottoman Calligraphy Collection offers examples of the art which was widespread for 500 years, such as the copies of manuscripts of “hilye from the Sacred Qur’an” (Descriptions of the Prophet), “levha” (calligraphic boards), “kit’a” (individual verses), and “muraqqaa” (albums), or official documents, such as “firman” “imperial decrees), “berat” (deeds of privilege), and “meniur” (deeds of rank and office).”