The Turkish and Islamic Art Museum is hosting a new art festival with the name of ‘Ramart Platform 2019’ from May 5 to 12.
Turkey has long been known for promoting native art and Islamic art. The brand new international art platform will organise its first art exhibition with the name of ‘Fecr’ or ‘Fajr’ meaning dawn. The exhibition will be held with a new perspective in art, bringing together 99 artists of different disciplines and generations from 22 countries in Istanbul’s Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. The exhibition aims at embracing contemporary art with the awareness of the past.
As many as five Doha-based talented artists will also take part in the Istanbul exhibition, among whom Ahmed Nooh and Mohamed al-Atiq are Qatari nationals. Sabah Arbili is an Iraqi artist based in Doha. Zeina Abbara is a Syrian artist based in Doha. Mala Waseem is a Pakistani artist based in Doha.
According to the information shared by the organisers, the exhibition undertakes the mission of bringing together different disciplines in order to embrace contemporary art with the awareness of the past. Ramart Platform will include exhibition, Experience Transfer Platform, workshops, and ‘Ramart Talks’ where valuable names from the world of culture and art will be in attendance under the moderation of Pelin Çift, a well-known Turkish media person. Experience Transfer Platforms will take place between May 6-10 at 17hrs. Some of the prominent artists taking part in the exhibition are namely; Mercan Dede, Devrim Erbil, Hikmet Barutçugil, and Reza Hematt?rad.
Alpay Tarhan, Ramart Board Chairman, stated that the project is a new art platform and is the most comprehensive multidisciplinary event that will be held every Ramadan from now on.
The organiser further said that the art project will become a part of global art culture. It draws its strength from our hundreds of years of history, hosting several civilisations and it has been launched with the aim of increasing the awareness of our developing art and artists at the international platforms with a multidisciplinary approach from traditional to contemporary and to bring culture and art to wider masses by bringing global arts and artists together in Turkey.
Beste Gürsu, the curator of Ramart Platform 2019, emphasised that all the participants would gain new experiences through the platform that is bringing together a total of 99 artists from 22 countries.
She said: “Fecr – having the meaning of dawn, emerging and being born, composing a piece of generation and existence, identity and belongingness – is a four-letter word and a symbol of a deeper sense. 
The artists of international fame will carry this enchanted atmosphere of sharp difference between existence and absence, emergence and being born, dark and bright to the exhibition.
“The state of Fecr in nature and life together describes the time in which the world emerges, exists and awakens with sun rise. In the first exhibition of Ramart Platform, it builds an active bridge between vitality and life and, continuity and presence.”
Talking to Community, Syrian artist Zeina said: “I am very excited. I am very happy to be a part of the international exhibition. It will bring creative people with diverse cultures together at one place.”
She added: “I have been living in Qatar for eight years. I am an art teacher and have organised my solo exhibition both in Syria and Qatar. In Doha, I have also taken part in different group exhibitions. My subject is realism. I like to paint landscapes and portraits. I use oil colours. I use both brush and knife to paint.”
Mala Wasim, a Canadian-Pakistani visual artist living in Qatar for nine years, said: “My work is about texture. It basically revolves around the relation between the medium and expression. I use texture as my medium to explore and to just come out with the idea instantly without mixing the oil with the oil paints.
 “I am so glad and thankful to the organiser for giving me the opportunity to showcase my works at an international event in Turkey. Earlier, I have showcased my works in Qatar, Canada and Pakistan.” 
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