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“PİETRO CANONİCA VE ATATÜRK” ÇALIŞTAYI

“PIETRO CANONICA AND ATATÜRK” WORKSHOP

The Italian Cultural Center hosted the “Pietro Canonica and Atatürk” Workshop on November 3, 2023, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey.

Sculptor Pietro Canonica, known for works such as the Atatürk statue in front of the Ankara Ethnography Museum, the marshal-uniformed Atatürk statue in Ankara Victory Square, the Republic Monument in Taksim Square, and the equestrian Atatürk statue in İzmir Republic Square, holds an important place in our country's art history.

The Italian Cultural Center in Istanbul, in cooperation with the Italian Embassy and the Rome Municipality, organized a workshop examining the works of Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica, who created significant statues of Atatürk during the early years of the Republic of Turkey, as part of the Republic’s 100th anniversary events. Held on Friday, November 3, at the Casa di Italia Theater, the workshop titled “Pietro Canonica and Atatürk” featured prominent academics from Turkey and Italy who discussed Canonica’s works within the context of Italy-Turkey relations of the period. The workshop took place in two sessions with the participation of Italian Ambassador Giorgio Marrapodi, Rome Municipality Culture Undersecretary Miguel Gotor, and Istanbul Italian Cultural Center Director Salvatore Schirmo. Speakers included Carla Scicchitano, İlber Ortaylı, Silvia Pedone, Luca Orlandi, Aylin Tekiner, Francesco Pongiluppi, Mevlüt Çelebi, Özlem İnay Erten, Davide Deriu, Burcu Pelvanoğlu, Luca J. Senatore, Marco Carpiceci, and Fabio Colonnese.

Following presentations in Italian and Turkish, the workshop concluded with a guided tour of the Taksim Republic Monument led by Luca Orlandi and Burcu Pelvanoğlu.

Pietro Canonica

Invited by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Pietro Canonica came to Turkey between 1926 and 1928. After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, he embodied the country’s democratic transformation and regime change. Through his sculptures of Atatürk, Canonica aimed to emphasize the birth of a brand-new and modern nation rising from the ashes of a fallen empire. At Atatürk’s request, the Italian artist created four monuments representing modern Turkey by moving away from the sultanate and imperial past and adopting Western models represented by European nations. These symbolic works—two in Ankara, one in Istanbul, and one in İzmir—demonstrate the Piedmontese sculptor’s significant artistic contribution to the newly born nation.