The Winner of the Grand Prize of 1 million TRY: “SAYA's Voice”
The İGART Art Contest, the biggest art award that Turkey has ever seen, has come to an end. The winner of the contest, awarded with 1 million Turkish Lira, was Betul Kotil with her work, "SAYA's Voice". The award was presented to Kotil at a ceremony held at iGA Istanbul Airport. The art piece was designed to be placed on the lower ceiling surface of the viaduct at the metro exit, and is set to be completed during the summer months.
By bringing together the cultural and artistic activities at iGA Istanbul Airport, İGART, under the leadership of artist and academician, Professor Dr. Husamettin Kocan, is continuing this work with the participation of honorable members from all fields of architecture and art. Within İGART, the first of the İGART Art Contest series, established with the goal of supporting young artists and paving the way for the development of more art in our country, was announced in September 2021. The contest was aimed at young Turkish artists and groups under the age of 35. To date, 221 projects have been submitted. This contest did not impose any thematic or stylistic limitations other than the definition of the venue.
The judging panel for this contest consisted of İGART Chairman of the Executive Committee, Professor Dr. Husamettin Kocan, Members of the İGART Executive Committee Deniz Odabas, Prof. Dr. Gulveli Kaya, Prof. Dr. Marcus Graf, Mehmet Ali Guveli, Murat Tabanlioglu, Nazlı Pektas, as well as the sculptors Seyhun Topuz and Seckin Pirim. After this panel reviewed the submissions for the contest, the finalists were announced. Three of the artists made it through to the finals - Betul Kotil, Zafer Ali Aksit and Celaset – but the winner of the contest was Kotil with "SAYA's Voice".
"The world will hear SAYA's Voice from Istanbul"
The winning artwork was announced at a ceremony held at iGA Istanbul Airport where the grand prize was presented to the artist. Speaking at the ceremony, CEO of iGA Istanbul Airport, Kadri Samsunlu, mentioned the important role that these cultural and artistic works play in turning Istanbul Airport into a hub that will entice people to return. Samsunlu said, "We host thousands of people at Istanbul Airport every day and we take great care in ensuring that these visits are transformed into an experience for them. Through İGART, we will be presenting this experience through text, pictures, and videos straight into the passengers’ pockets as a gift to them. These works of art, that have been produced within İGART to this day, and which will continue to be produced, are very valuable in terms of creating a soul and a personality in our buildings. We are looking forward to having all the artwork displayed in the venues designated for the contest. After the results of the first contest today, similar works of art will be produced and displayed at 16 other pre-determined locations at the airport. We are very happy to bring art into Istanbul Airport to such a degree, providing sustainable support that opens up new spaces for the artists. To work at this global hub airport, to know that the artwork will reach many visitors from many different countries and cultures for years to come, is an extraordinary experience, especially for our younger artists. I congratulate all the contestants for taking this brave step and thank them for their valuable contributions. I thank the creator of the project, Betul Kotil, who provided the first work of art, for creating this project that will live with us for many years. The world will hear SAYA's Voice from Istanbul.”
“İGART is opening opportunities for artists”
The Chairman of the İGART Executive Board, Prof. Dr. Husamettin Kocan highlighted the importance of these innovative projects at iGA in the fields of art and culture. Koçan remarked, "It's really important to offer opportunities to independent artists through mechanisms like the İGART Art Contests where artists can easily submit their work. I think this perspective of looking towards the future has an important role in promoting art, creating new opportunities, and providing areas for more artists to work. When we witnessed the work of our young artists from Anatolia, outside of Istanbul, we became certain that the İGART Art Competition was realized accurately. It also became clear that only limiting the artists to the definition of the venue, was invaluable. İGART, by creating a much longed-for open door that creates opportunities for artists in our country, has fulfilled an important role on a large-scale for our art history and it will continue to do this with more contests planned at 16 different locations. With special mention to Betül Kotil, I congratulate every young artist who participated and opened that door today."
"Saya is our voice"
Betul Kotil, the owner of the artwork, expressed her excitement by saying, "When I first heard about the competition and obtained information on the jury, I wholeheartedly wanted to be part of this affair. The fairness of the voting process also became clear when I was chosen to be among the finalists. I was an unknown name far from Istanbul.” She also described the story of her project by saying, “The Voice of Saya was a project that was on my mind for a long time, but which was searching for its place. It found its place thanks to iGA Istanbul Airport and İGART”. Saya is a well-accepted word, especially in Balıkesir. It's a closed area where cattle and small cattle are fed, stay protected and it's also where they sleep. When necessary, families stay there with the animals. "Going to the Saya" is an expression in the colloquial language. When lambs give birth they stay at Saya. When the baby in the womb of the pregnant sheep is hundred days old shepherds hold a "Saya" ceremony. Saya is our voice... I'm very happy this voice will reach millions of visitors."
iGA to cover the cost of the installation
In addition to the royalty rate worth 1 million TRY that will be presented to the creator of the winning project, it has been announced that the installation cost will be covered by iGA Istanbul Airport. For more information on the İGART Art Contest, visit https://igart.istanbul/en/