Art Flapped Its Wings in Bird Paradise: Artists from 24 Countries Met in Bandırma

Art Flapped Its Wings at Bird Paradise: Artists from 24 Countries Met in Bandırma

Bandırma hosted a meaningful event this year where nature and art intertwined. The International Juried Bandırma Bird Paradise Poster Festival Exhibition, organized within the scope of the 24th International Bandırma Bird Paradise Culture and Tourism Festival, brought together the works of artists from 24 different countries and presented them to art lovers at Cumhuriyet Square.

The exhibition, which was brought to life in cooperation with Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture and Bandırma Municipality, presented a powerful narrative in which nature inspires art. The exhibition, which was open between May 29 and June 1, 2025, featured 100 posters prepared to raise awareness of nature conservation.

The opening ceremony was attended by Bandırma Deputy Mayor Niyazi Yeloğlu, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Erçakar, Municipal Council Member Ms. Elif Didem Çidem, CHP Bandırma District President Ms. Mehmet Atak, Women's Branch President Ms. Filiz Özdemir, university academics, students and many citizens attended.

The 300 posters sent as part of the festival were meticulously evaluated by jury members with international experience in their fields. The 100 selected works brought together the silent beauty of art, birds and nature with powerful graphic expressions. The jury board included Prof. Rosi Mihaylova, Prof. Arafat Al-Naim, Prof. Yusuf Keş, Assoc. Prof. Ersan Sarıkahya, Assoc. Prof. Refik Yalur, Assoc. Prof. İbrahim Yılmaz and Dr. Lecturer Emel Uzuner.

Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Erçakar, in his opening speech, emphasized the university’s contributions to culture and art, and said, “This special organization, where nature and art come together, carries an important message not only for Bandırma, but also for our country and the world. Creating environmental awareness with the universal language of art is our duty.”

At the end of the opening, a plaque of appreciation was presented to Prof. Dr. Erçakar on behalf of Bandırma Mayor Dursun Mirza. Then, the ribbon was cut and the exhibition was opened to visitors. The posters, which transformed Cumhuriyet Square into an open-air art gallery, received full marks from the audience.