Photography exhibition titled “Through the Lens of President Ersin Tatar” inaugurated at Near East University, İrfan Günsel Congress Centre Exhibition Hall in Lefkoşa
Photographs taken by President Ersin Tatar is being displayed at the exhibition titled “Through the Lens of President Ersin Tatar”
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President Ersin Tatar has inaugurated his photographic exhibition titled “Through the Lens of President Ersin Tatar” that is showcasing 50 unique photographs at the Near East University (NEU), İrfan Congress Centre Exhibition Hall in Lefkoşa.
President Tatar and First Lady Sibel Tatar were joined at the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday by NEU Founding Rector Suat Günsel, NEU Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Presidential Administrative Department Director Osman Çağakan, Presidential Consultant and Political Affairs Director Halit Bağman, advisors of the President, NEU officials, academics, students and many guests.
Addressing the participants, President Tatar spoke about his passion for photography and said: “I remember from when I was of young age that I would snap photographs using my Kodac camera, then I would take the film to be processed, which would take 15 days. Only then would I find out how the photographs came out.”
President Tatar said he has become accustomed to “using my mobile telephone to take photographs, because life is all about memories and cherishing them,” adding “I am delighted to be inaugurating this exhibition that has 50 photographs I have taken over many years, which were selected by experts in this field from more than a thousand photographs”.
President Tatar said: “We are very lucky today, because mobile telephones have high-tech cameras that can take fantastic photographs with high quality resolution and colour, and one is able to edit them using the software available. I hope this exhibition will inspire others to take as many photographs as they can to preserve their memories. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is very important to understand. Photographs have no language, they are universal, they can convey a message or inspire, add meaning or even raise awareness on issues and contribute to learning and education.”
The President also said he is happy that the opening of his exhibition coincides with the 451st exhibition of the Cyprus Museum of Arts. He said his photographs “convey different elements of life and beauties of the TRNC from my own eyes”.
President Tatar paid tribute and expressed his thanks to Serkan İlseven, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the former Administrative Director of the Presidency, who “inspired me and was instrumental in the organisation of this exhibition”.
Stating that he does “amateur photography as a hobby”, President Tatar talked about the knowledge and skills he developed in photography during his work experiences in the press and broadcasting field in the UK, Türkiye and the Island of Cyprus.
Also addressing the participants, NEU Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ stated it was a “great honour and pleasure to be hosting the personal photographic exhibition of President Ersin Tatar,” and pointed out that this exhibition was the “451st exhibition hosted by the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts”.
Explaining that "President Tatar has always demonstrated a high regard and importance to art and the work of artists by attending the opening of many exhibitions,” Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ added: “I believe that the involvement of politicians in art has a very important function in realising their mission of understanding and transforming the society”.
"For this reason, I find it particularly important for President Tatar to embody his deep relationship with art through his personal photographic exhibition,” he said.