Turkey’s Cultural Road Festival 2024, announced by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, will feature international artists and special exhibitions, including original works by Picasso.
The Culture Road Festival 2024 was officially announced by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy during a grand launch event at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul.
Speaking to artists, guests and media, Minister Ersoy highlighted the festival’s role in blending Turkey’s historical heritage with international artistic expression. Over the past four years, the festival has not only gained international acclaim, but also membership in the European Festivals Association and left its cultural mark in 16 cities across Turkey.
From Pablo Picasso to Refik Anadolu
This year’s festival lineup includes a special exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, which will display more than 80 original works by the master. This landmark event will allow art lovers across Turkey to view Picasso’s works on a tour that will travel to different cities.
Notably, the festival will also feature Sebastião Salgado’s Genesis Project and Güvenc Özer’s digital installation Holoflux. It will also host a comprehensive exhibition on Frida Kahlo and the debut of new work by digital artist Refik Anadol. Additionally, the Anatolia Edition: From Sketches to Pixels exhibition aims to shine a spotlight on young digital talent.
Among the festival’s unique attractions is “Ataturk on the Cultural Road,” a digital installation that uses artificial intelligence algorithms to imagine how Ataturk would have interacted with the festival had he been alive today.
The festival coincides with the Orange Blossom Carnival, which takes place in Adana from April 13th to 21st.
The festival will travel across the country, visiting various cities from Şanlıurfa to Bursa, Samsun to Trabzon, and the itinerary includes stops in Erzurum, Çanakkale, Gaziantep, Ankara, Konya, Istanbul, Diyarbakir and Izmir, before finishing in Antalya, showcasing various cultural heritage sites.
The festival will feature performances by international orchestras and artists such as the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Estonian Orchestra and Chorus, Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Chris Botti, the National Opera and Ballet Company’s performance of “Sahmelan,” as well as city-specific artworks and nighttime museum experiences, further enriching Turkey’s cultural landscape.
Source: Newsroom
