Turkish artist Özlem Kalkan Erenus represents Turkey at UN’s 75th-anniversary exhibit 
Özlem Kalkan Erenus poses near her work "Peace," a work currently featured in the “UNITED NATIONS – Symbol of Life, Freedom & Happiness” exhibit. (Photo courtesy of Özlem Kalkan Erenus)


The 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations is being crowned with an intercontinental, online exhibition prepared with the work of artists from the 193 member states. While one artist from each country has been invited to the exhibition "UNITED NATIONS – Symbol of Life, Freedom & Happiness," Turkey is represented by Özlem Kalkan Erenus with her work "Peace."

Erenus, whose art has been exhibited four times in recent years at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and at the United Nations Palace in Geneva, continues to carry the art torch of Turkey successfully abroad with this project. In her piece "Peace," the artist conveys the message of coexistence, cooperation, understanding and unity between people, nations and cultures with impressive collages.

The special project, presented by the organization of the Inter-Art Foundation, which operates in the Romanian city of Aiud, brings together artists from 193 states in a special art exhibition for the first time in history – which makes the event a true world premiere. Held under the high auspices of Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, the event is supported by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Romanian Cultural Institute.

The works in the exhibition, which are currently available for online display on Inter-Art Foundation's website, will be physically displayed at the United Nations headquarters in New York City next year if the conditions set by the coronavirus outbreak allow.

As a special tribute to the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, this unique event seeks to show that a better world can be established through art, aiming at freedom and coexistence, mutual understanding and cooperation, and the unity of people, nations and cultures.

Iohannis said in a message on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition: "The exhibition is a symbolic fresco of our times, created in a context which we need more than ever, that is solidarity and understanding. ... Not by chance, the key factor that made this exhibition possible is the same as the one that motivated U.N. action since its creation in 1945 and that guarantees the organization’s success in demonstrating the ‘art of unity’ between nations on ahead."

Stefan Balog, the initiator and curator of the project, also said: "A beautiful dream becomes reality with this project. An achievement that fully defines the concept of the Inter-Art Foundation to unite all the nations of the world through art. We have always believed in this motto and in these 25 years since we have existed we have done our best to prove that the art and culture of a nation is the best ambassador."