Atatürk and Refik Anadol Exhibitions Meet İzmir Residents

As part of the 94th Izmir International Fair (İEF), the preview for the “And His Blue Eyes Blazed” Mustafa Kemal Atatürk exhibition—set to open at the Atlas Pavilion in Kültürpark—along with Refik Anadol’s works “Perception of Healing” and “Machine Dreams: Aegean,” brought together İzmir’s art, business, and political circles. Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “We value our own artists; we will continue to provide them opportunities both to create and to showcase what they produce.”

Hosted at the Atlas Pavilion in Kültürpark through a collaboration between İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Folkart, and Folkart Gallery, two major exhibitions will open to visitors during the 94th İEF from August 29 to September 9 and will continue welcoming İzmir residents after the fair. The preview featured “And His Blue Eyes Blazed,” an exhibition of Atatürk’s photographs and personal belongings being shown for the first time, as well as world-renowned media artist Refik Anadol’s “Perception of Healing,” which translates data science and artificial intelligence into an artistic language, and “Machine Dreams: Aegean,” to be exhibited for the first time in the world in İzmir. Speaking at the ceremony, İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “We are administrators who know the value of our own artists. We will continue to offer many opportunities for them to both create and exhibit their work. We look forward to everyone’s support and contributions along this path. May this exhibition and the fair we will open in three days be auspicious for our city. We invite our people here.”

They toured the exhibition

In addition to hosts İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay and his spouse Öznur Tugay, and Folkart Chairman of the Board Mesut Sancak, representatives of İzmir’s art and business worlds and political parties also attended the event. Fahri Özdemir, project director and curator of “And His Blue Eyes Blazed,” introduced the exhibition to Mayor Tugay and his wife. Refik Anadol’s works drew great interest from the guests.

“There is no challenge we cannot overcome”

At the ceremony, İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “Today is August 26, 2025… 103 years ago, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk set in motion a nation and an army whom he first inspired and then united, with the Great Offensive. On September 9, on these very lands we live on, he led us into the first day of one of the most magnificent victories the world would witness. On such a meaningful day, it is a great honor for all of İzmir and all İzmir residents to commemorate the greatest hero of our history, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with his photographs and mementos, and to open such an exhibition. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the realization of this exhibition. How fortunate we are to have such a glorious history, such victories we are proud of. I believe this exhibition will be another reminder, when we look back at those days, that there is no hardship today we cannot face and no difficulty we cannot overcome. I invite all İzmir residents to visit this exhibition.”

“To be exhibited for the first time in the world in İzmir”

Noting that the Izmir International Fair is one of the world’s oldest fairs, Mayor Tugay said, “For a long time, İEF hosted both the promotion of Türkiye and the presence of other countries introducing themselves in Türkiye. We have been striving first to sustain and then to further develop this event. To leave visitors to Kültürpark and the fair with an unforgettable taste, we will also exhibit two of Refik Anadol’s works here. Thanks to the great efforts of the Folkart family, we will have the chance to see these two works as well. Refik Anadol is known around the world. We are proud that one of these two works will be exhibited for the first time in the world in İzmir. Together with the Atatürk exhibition, it will be a show that will delight many İzmir residents.”

“İzmir is a factory of artists”

Emphasizing their commitment to art and artists, Mayor Tugay said, “We cherish this through Atatürk’s perspective. For a leader who said, ‘A nation deprived of art means one of its vital veins has been severed,’ has told us time and again that civilization, modernity, and progress can only be achieved through art and science. İzmir is a factory of artists. In İzmir, art naturally flourishes and grows.”

“It is an honor for us”

Folkart Chairman of the Board Mesut Sancak said: “What distinguishes this exhibition from other Atatürk exhibitions is that, including the Çanakkale period, it presents Atatürk’s leadership, the War of Independence, and the journey to the Republic from 1907 to 1938 as a whole. The entire exhibition is filled with poignant and moving images. At every step, the great sacrifice shown by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades in the War of Independence, and the struggle of our people, remind us under what hardships this country was founded and saved. After visiting this exhibition, all of us should be in the pleasant excitement of preparing for the future by living together as brothers and sisters on these beautiful lands. Bringing this exhibition to the Atlas Pavilion was very important, and I would like to thank the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and our Mayor for their support in this regard. We are also very happy to be able to share two presentations by Refik Anadol, the new media artist who has made Türkiye’s name known to the world, at the Atlas Pavilion. This, too, was at our Mayor’s suggestion and request. The fact that one of the two presentations is being exhibited for the first time in the world in İzmir is an additional honor for our city and for us.”

A message from Refik Anadol

At the ceremony, a written message from Refik Anadol was read to the guests: “Dear guests, I sincerely greet you all. I am currently in Los Angeles due to work on the world’s first artificial intelligence museum, and I am sorry I cannot be with you. However, I am greatly honored that our works are meeting with you in this city. Especially together with the very precious Atatürk exhibition, our work titled ‘Perception of Healing’ transforms the healing processes of the human mind into a poetic visuality through artificial intelligence. ‘Machine Dreams: Aegean,’ on the other hand, records the winds, waves, and climate of these lands into a digital memory and enables us to feel them anew. I hope this journey, built at the intersection of art and technology, opens new horizons for you. I wish you all a lovely evening.”

Refik Anadol’s works can be visited until September 30

A leading figure in the contemporary art world, Refik Anadol’s “Perception of Healing” stands out as an AI data sculpture that, drawing on the brain data of individuals receiving mental health treatment, triggers empathy and compassion. “Machine Dreams: Aegean” converts the environmental data of the Aegean Sea into digital pigments, allowing a renewed sensory bond with nature. This eight-minute work can be viewed from a distance and, via a mirror, creates a sense of infinity. With the support of Folkart, Anadol’s works will meet art lovers at Kültürpark from August 29 to September 30.

Atatürk’s personal belongings are also on display

The “And His Blue Eyes Blazed” Mustafa Kemal Atatürk exhibition features a letter written by Atatürk’s mother Zübeyde Hanım, along with many personal items used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Curated and directed by Fahri Özdemir, the exhibition presents 476 artifacts and more than 250 unique photographs, illuminating Atatürk’s leadership journey from 1907 to 1938. Open to visitors from August 29 to December 21, the exhibition’s most striking elements include objects that shed light on Atatürk’s medical history. The device with which he underwent electrocardiography (ECG) multiple times, the blood pressure monitor he used, his personal effects, and documents bearing his signature are among the most extraordinary pieces on display.