"Tablolar Konuşuyor" (Paintings Speak), a first ever painting exhibition for the visually impaired opened at Uniq Istanbul Monday.
The event, organized as part of Türk Telekom's social responsibility project "Telefon Kütüphanesi" (Telephone Library), features 20 famous paintings from Turkey and around the world.
What makes the exhibition unique is that the paintings, including Hodja Ali Rıza's "İftar Sofrası" (Iftar Table), Picasso's "Old Guitarist," and Ahmet Hamdi Bey's "The Tortoise Trainer," are verbally described for the visually impaired art lovers.
The artworks were narrated by the Minister of Transportation, Maritime and Communication Ahmet Arslan and famous names like Haluk Bilginer, Mustafa Sandal, Jülide Ateş, Nazlı Çelik, Arda Türkmen, Gülay Afşar, Cem Öğretir, Özge Uzun, Şeref Oğuz and Arzum Onan.
Minister Arslan narrated Bellini's "Mehmed the Conqueror," actor Haluk Bilginer voiced Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory," singer Mustafa Sandal dubbed Picasso's "Old Guitarist" and actress Arzum Onan gave life to Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with The Pearl Earring."
Namık İsmail's "Son Mermi" (The Last Bullet) was voiced by journalist Şeref Oğuz, Rene Magritte's "Son of Man" was narrated by Gülay Afşar, Diego Rivera's "Flower Seller" was voiced by Nazlı Çelik, Ivan Ayvazovski's "Moonlit Night on Bosporus" by Jülide Ateş and Georges Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Cem Öğretir.
The inauguration event was attended by Türk Telekom CEO Dr. Paul Doany and the famous visually impaired painter Eşref Armağan.
Armağan, who was born with low vision, has attracted worldwide attention with his paintings that follow the rules of perspective. Even though he never received formal painting education, he touches mockups with his fingertips in order to draw specific objects. Performing live at the gala event he drew a table phone.
Türk Telekom is planning to take the exhibition across Turkey. The works of art can also be accessed through land phones and the official mobile app of the project.
"Paintings Speak" will be open until Sunday.