ISTANBUL.- Koç University's Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations in Istanbul hosts the exhibition "Propaganda and War, The Allied Front During The First World War" to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War. The exhibition displays selected historical objects and archival documents of Ottoman artifacts and memorabilia from World War I from Ömer M. Koç Collection. Curated by Bahattin Öztuncay, "Propaganda and War" is open to the public between 24 December 2014 and 22 March 2015 at the RCAC.
The exhibition features innumerable historical documents and a wide range of objects, including commemorative posters and postcards, flags, ceramics, symbols of honor, awards and medals, as well as documentation of activities carried out by the states to marshal the support of the people by the Ottoman Empire and the other Alliance countries, all of which will be of interest to art lovers as well as history buffs.
"Propaganda and War" provides insight into the cultural exchanges that transpired during the war, including artistic activities, reciprocal visits, educational cooperations, and the coordination and production of propaganda tools carried out by the Alliance countries Germany, Austro-Hungary Empire, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire, and also offers important clues to understanding present-day international relations. Also on display is a rare album of plates titled Paintings and Drawings from Turkey; all of the images in this volume were painted in Turkey by Wilhelm Viktor Krausz between 1915 and 1916 during the war. The first known portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is contained in this volume.
The exhibition is designed by Yeşim Demir. The accompanying exhibition catalog, with articles by the curator Bahattin Öztuncay, Edhem Eldem and Sinan Kuneralp, who worked carefully on selecting the works and documents for the exhibition, is published by Vehbi Koç Foundation.
Additionally, a conference is held with history professors such as Edhem Eldem, Ayhan Aktar, Sinan Kuneralp, Nazan Maksudyan, Yiğit Akın, Sinan Niyazioğlu, Erol Köroğlu, Benjamin Fortna and Eugene Rogan as speakers. The conference—"World War: Ideology and Propaganda"—will be held at the RCAC on 10 January 2015.
