Art museum opening
AN OPENING ceremony for an interim modern art museum at Near East University (NEU) saw academics and politicians cut a 10-metre red ribbon allowing the public access to an impressive art collection ahead of a new museum project.
President Mustafa Akıncı described the project as vital to promote local artists abroad and a magnet for world and Cypriot art, while Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman said he was overjoyed to see a 10-year dream come true.
At the university amphitheatre launch last Thursday, NEU Rector Ümit Hassan said the new Museum of the Modern Art of Cyprus would reflect Cypriot history and cultural heritage.
The vision of NEU founder and owner Suat Günsel was a “window on the future” for education, he added, via a synthesis of Cypriot painting schools and sculpture and international artistic input. Artworks have not yet been classified and Cypriot and Turkic works hang side by side.
Dr Hassan said the project would develop “existence” and unity as evidenced by the presence of the International Organisation of Turkic Arts and Culture, Türksoy, and general secretary Rauf Kazeinov, who highlighted the preservation of cultural heritage and the unique “international language of museums” that could transform North Cyprus.
The new six-storey, 20,000m2 building near the NEU car museum is designed by Dr Türköz Kolozali, head of the Department of Architecture. It will be completed by 2020 and house 14 galleries including four permanent collections, two temporary exhibitions, two photography exhibitions and three sculpture halls.
A team of fine arts, curatorship and museum management experts will also be recruited to assist museum director Mustafa Hastürk, arts adviser to Dr Günsel and a lecturer in fine arts.
Dr Günsel said his mission was to bring a new dimension to the arts and that the interim museum was now open every day except Monday, between 9am and 6pm.
Entrance is priced at 20 euros for “foreigners”, 30TL for adults and 20TL for students. TRNC citizens and students may visit for half price on Sundays and children under the age of 12 are admitted free of charge. A combined ticket for the art and car museums is 25 euros, 40TL or 30TL respectively — half price on Sundays.