Türkiye’s important industrial organization in outdoor advertising and signage, Sign Association of Turkey (ARED) brings history to life with the Gösteri”r” Exhibition of Signs from Past to Present. By establishing a connection between the past and the present; the exhibition brings together history, economy and sociology with signs and will be open to visitors at Ankara Rahmi M. Koç Museum until May 19. Introducing the book titled “Our Masters in Outdoor Advertising and Signage from Past to Today” in recent years, which was a first in Türkiye, ARED has broken new ground in its field with this exhibition.
The exhibition was opened by ARED President Şahin Acar, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor and Çankaya Municipality Council Member Faruk Köylüoğlu, Ankara City Council President Halil İbrahim Yılmaz, and with the participation of ARED Çanakkale Representative Fevzi Uz, whose grandfather and father were calligraphers and who each had a work in the exhibition, and who continues his activities as the 3rd generation in the profession. ARED former and current board members, industry representatives, public and local government representatives, non-governmental organizations, academic guests and students also attended the opening.
“The Exhibition of Signs also tells the history of humanity”
Speaking at the opening, ARED President Şahin Acar stated that the exhibition tells not only the signs but also the story of humanity and noted that the starting point of the industrial evolution is the sign makers and craftsmen who exist with their handicraft, writing ability and creative power, who practice their art with brushes and paints and improve themselves as Turkish trade develops. Acar disclosed that they wanted to shed light on the history of the sign making profession with this exhibition and said; “Because we can compare the development of this industry by looking at it from the past to the present.”
In their speeches, sign master Ertürk Dölek from Ankara, whose father was also a calligrapher, and ARED Honorary Member and sign master Taner Ahmet Saraç from Ankara, said that they have been serving the industry for over 40 years and emphasized that the exhibition, which transfers old methods to new generations, is a very useful event that reveals the stages of the profession.
When looking at a sign, visitors see not only the writings and symbols; They will be able to see the aesthetic concerns of the time, the level of education, economy, culture and several other things. This exhibition, created with the efforts of ARED, will be both a tribute to the past, a new perspective for young people, and a mirror that shows what is behind the signs.
The first examples are in Göbeklitepe and Ephesus
While the first form of display in the world was wall/cave drawings, as history progressed, the medium turned into clay tablets, scrolls and sculptures. Humanity saw its first applications in history in Göbeklitepe and Ephesus. Outdoor advertising and signage became widespread as history progressed; It has developed as a tool that delivers mass messages. Signs, which used to be used to indicate a place, a shop, or a direction, have now become the new way of sending messages to the masses.
Today, the sign industry continues to transform with changing materials, developing technology and increasing needs. Nowadays, outdoor advertising and signage industry continues to push the limits of imagination by evolving with three-dimensional displays, LED screens, giant robots and more.