BTA - Cartoon Exhibition in Bursa Depicts Migration through Eyes of Artists of Bulgarian Origin

BTA - Cartoon Exhibition in Bursa Depicts Migration through Eyes of Artists of Bulgarian Origin

site.btaCartoon Exhibition in Bursa Depicts Migration through Eyes of Artists of Bulgarian Origin The theme of migration through the eyes of cartoonists of Bulgarian origin is presented in an exhibition opened Friday in the Turkish city of Bursa and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship between Turkiye and Bulgaria. The Turkish city of Bursa is often referred to as the "migration capital" of the Balkans (Turkish: göç başkenti) because of the large number of its residents of Bulgarian origin and with roots in other Balkan countries.

The city is hosting the original exhibition 27 Migrations, 27 Personal Stories, 27 Cartoonists along the Bulgaria–Turkiye Line opened at the Panorama 1326 Museum. Some of the artists featured in the ehxibition were forced to relocate to Turkiye during the migration campaign in the summer of 1989, others emigrated voluntarily at different times, while still others are the children and grandchildren of migrants. Through cartoons and illustrations, the works tell stories of homes, streets and names left behind overnight, of separations caused by migration, adaptation and the search for identity.

They portray resilience, hope and the pursuit of a new beginning, while simultaneously prompting viewers to reflect and smile. The expressive tools of humour, satire and grotesque imagery evoke universal human themes and the coexistence of sorrow and joy. That is why the exhibited works feature both the winds of the Balkan Mountains and the sun of Turkiye.

"For the first time, memorable and tragic events experienced during the migration waves, including the forced migration campaign of the summer of 1989, as well as their impact on the lives of thousands of Bulgarian Turks, are being presented through the art of cartooning and illustration, which makes this exhibition unique," Prof. Nurcan Ozgur Baklacioglu of Istanbul University, the initiator of the exhibition, told BTA. She herself was born in Bulgaria, and her family was forced to relocate in 1989. Today, she is among Turkiye's leading experts in international relations.

"Most of the stories and memories are filled with pain. They show what happened and what traces we carried in our suitcases from our native places into our new lives. Cartooning has the ability to combine sadness and laughter and turns a drawing into a deeply emotional experience.

We wanted to revive the memory of this unwritten social history, namely migration, through the means of art," she said, adding: "Art has in fact occupied an important place in relations between the two countries throughout the 20th century. And the bearers of this art are us, the Turks who migrated from Bulgaria and managed to build bridges between the two societies and cultures. I hope visitors will find traces and memories of themselves in this exhibition."

"Laughter attracts attention and breaks down the viewer's defence mechanisms," said artist Halit Kurtulmus from Aytos, who also designed the exhibition poster depicting folklore characters Nasreddin Hodja and Hitar Petar riding on the same cart. Kurtulmus recounted that just as he was preparing to apply to Veliko Tarnovo University, his family was forced to relocate to Turkiye during the summer of 1989, while he and his brother remained in Bulgaria to complete their military service. "We migrants carry many stories in our memories.

Everyone experiences migration differently, along with their dreams and the challenges that come with trying to prove yourself both there and here. Your life is accompanied by many traumas. But at the same time, humour is born from trauma," he added, quoting the long-time Chair of the Cartoon Section of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, Valeri Alexandrov, as saying that "humour in the Balkans is strong because people have lived through so much suffering and sorrow."

"Our exhibition is also a tribute to the contribution of hundreds of artists who migrated from Bulgaria to Turkiye during the 20th century and who today serve as peaceful bridges of culture and art linking Turkiye with Bulgaria and the Balkans," said exhibition curator Sinem Arslan. Among the guests at the event were Prof. Mira Markova, Dean of the Faculty of History at St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, and Assoc. Prof. Milena Petkova, Vice Dean of the Faculty of History.

"We agreed that this exhibition will also be presented at Sofia University in November, as part of the concluding section of the Bulgarian Studies Congress dedicated to research on Bulgarians abroad," Prof. Markova told BTA. "What struck me most was that on the one hand there is deep sadness, and on the other there is laughter, but it is laughter through tears. I can describe my impressions in three words: sorrow, strength and spirit."

Attending the official opening of the exhibition were Osmangazi Mayor Erkan Aydin, opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Hasan Ozturk, Balkan Migrants Culture and Solidarity Association President Prof. Emin Balkan, business representatives and numerous guests. /MR/ news.modal.header news.modal.text