The exhibition held at Emirates Palace is a milestone for Çırağan Palace Kempinski. Established in the premises of a 19th century Ottoman Imperial Palace and in keeping with the ideals of Kempinski that cultural heritage is a necessity, not a luxury, the Çırağan Palace Kempinski sucessfully carries out the mission of being an art and culture center with many cultural activities all year round including art exhibitions, lectures, concerts, book readings and several cultural activities as part of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture.
The art of “Ebru”, one of the oldest Turkish paper arts, known as "Marbling" or "Turkish Paper" in Europe, besides being a “binding art” has been used as background and border in calligraphy. Today, “Ebru” is considered as other abstract and plastic arts. Besides its visual grace, “Ebru” presents a remarkable vision from macrocosm and microcosm, and the therapeutic characteristic of it is an unquestionable reality for many. The exhibition at the Emirates Palace held on Tuesday, 30th March 2010 will be a unique event, and at the opening cocktail Barutçugil will do a special live demonstration of “Ebru” where guests will witness this miraculous art at first hand.
Hikmet Barutcugil started his education in arts at the State Academy of Fine Arts, School of Applied Industrial Arts to major in textile design. Upon meeting Professor Emin Barın, he delved into traditional calligraphy (hat), and consequently “discovered” the fine art of marbling (ebrû); soon to be the love of his life. His research and trials on marbling continued in the three years he spent in England for his postgraduate studies, between 1978 and 1981. Barutcugil, -based upon the idea that for the art to live, it should be in people’s daily lives, - redefined the aspects of “Ebrû” with a scientific approach and managed to transfuse marbling into other disciplines, from architecture to popular crafts. He transferred a multitude of extraordinary trials on marbling paper, establishing his unique style, known as “The Barut Ebrû”. He contributed to hundreds of events and exhibitions on traditional arts, gave short term courses and seminars in many countries from the USA, Canada, to Germany, Egypt, and Iran. “In our efforts to increase arts awareness and to show Turkey’s cultural heritage, we are proud to introduce Hikmet Barutcugil to the Middle East,” says Çırağan Palace Kempinski İstanbul General Manager Henri Blin. “And we will be taking more works of Barutcugil as well as different artists to other countries, and hence contribute to exchange of cultures and friendship worldwide.”
Editor’s Notes:
Located on the shores of the breathtaking Bosphorus that unites Europe and Asia, the Ciragan Palace Kempinski has hosted heads of state, royalties, movie stars and celebrities since its opening in 1990. Including eleven suites at the historical palace, once the residence of the Ottoman Royal Family, the hotel has 313 rooms in total and reflects a harmonious blend of the old and the new amid elegant surroundings, lavish décor and every modern commodity.