Dear Participants,

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Faculty of Fine Arts, we are delighted to invite you to the symposium titled “The Past, Present, and Future of Arts and Design.” This event will allow us to share our half-century of experience on a platform and facilitate the exchange of ideas between experts from different disciplines.

The Faculty of Fine Arts, keeping its programs up to date with creative, innovative, and contemporary approaches while consistently striving to enhance the influence of Dokuz Eylül University with its academic and artistic activities on both national and international stages, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Taking pride in its legacy of achievements and its status as one of the most significant and oldest institutions of its kind in the country, the Faculty is organizing a symposium to analyze the evolution of arts and design throughout history, explore contemporary trends, and present visions for its future.

Aim

The primary aim of the symposium is to strengthen the relationship between arts and design and other disciplines, inspire a new generation of artists and designers, and provide a platform for discussions that will shape the future of the field.

This symposium honors the half-century history of Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Fine Arts and aims to present an inspiring vision for the future of arts and design.

The Goals of the Symposium:

• to discuss contemporary issues in arts and design and offer new perspectives,

• to facilitate sharing of knowledge amongst researchers, artists and designers from different disciplines,

• to offer opportunities to young artists and designers for furthering their careers,

• to highlight the societal importance of arts and design and raise awareness,

• to share our half-century of experience on a platform and facilitate the exchange of ideas between experts from different disciplines.

Scope

The symposium will cover a wide range of topics encompassing all arts and design disciplines.

Thus, abstract papers in the following topics will be evaluated:

Education and Arts/Design

• Shifting paradigms in arts and design education

• The role of arts and design in life-long learning

• The integration of arts and design into different disciplines

• Methodologies of undergraduate and graduate education in arts and design

• Different teaching models in arts and design education

• Arts and design education and students with special educational needs

• Digitalization in arts and design education

• Use of technology in arts and design education

History of Arts and Design

• Art and design movements from different periods

• The relationship between arts and design and society, culture, and politics

• The significance of traditional arts in the present day and their transformation

Relationship of Technology and Arts/Design

• Digital art and design, artificial intelligence, and arts/design production

• Virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive arts and design

• New media and the distribution of works of art and design

Sustainability and Arts/Design

• Ecological art, ecological design, and sustainable materials

• Social responsibility and arts/design

• The potential of art and design for problem-solving in future conflicts

Globalization and Locality

• Global trends in arts and design and the preservation of local identities

• Cross-cultural dialogue and arts/design

• Global arts and design market and the role of the artist and the designer

Arts/Design and Society

• The role of arts and design in the public space

• The effect of arts and design on social transformations

• The economic value of arts and design

Participants

The invitees to the symposium include academics working in the fields of arts and design, artists, designers, students and industry representatives from around the world.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the symposium, a substantial body of knowledge on contemporary issues in arts and design will have been accumulated, new research fields identified, and partnerships established.

The symposium proceedings will be published as a book with an e-ISBN.

Download Application Form and Summary Paper Template Download Full Paper Template

Dear Participants,

We are delighted to invite you to the “Half Century” exhibition, organized as part of our symposium titled “The Past, Present, and Future of Art and Design”, celebrating the 50th anniversary of our Faculty of Fine Arts. This symposium aims to share our half-century of experience and knowledge on an international platform and to foster interdisciplinary interaction.

For detailed information, please visit our website: https://gsf.deu.edu.tr/tr/gsf-50-yil/

About the Exhibition

Restrictions: There are no restrictions on technique, material, or size..
Date: 17 November – 17 December 2025
Venue: Izmir Ahmet Adnan Saygun Art Center
Participation Fee: Participation in the exhibition is free of charge.

Important Dates
Deadline: 05 September 2025
Announcement of Accepted Works: 19 September 2025
Deadline for Artwork Submissions : 03 October 2025

Download the Exhibition Commitment //// Download the Exhibition Application Form

Comissions

TERMS and CONDITIONS of PARTICIPATION

1- Each participant may submit up to two artworks. There are no restrictions on technique, material, or size.

2- If there are any special requests regarding the display of the artworks, they should be indicated in the ‘Special Display Request’ section of the application form. Any necessary requests and instructions should be communicated to the exhibition organizing team before the exhibition.

3- Artworks must be sent ready for display. The artist is responsible for any kind of technical preparations to ensure the artwork can be exhibited. Artworks that are not suitable for exhibiting due to technical problems may be excluded from the exhibition.

4- Artworks must be delivered in person, by cargo or by mail to the address “DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, GÜZEL SANATLAR FAKÜLTESİ, DEÜ MERKEZ YERLEŞKESİ ADATEPE MAH. DOĞUŞ CAD. NO:207AF 35390 BUCA – İZMİR”. Participants are responsible for the shipping and return costs of their artworks.

5- Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Fine Arts and the Exhibition Organizing Committee can not be held responsible for any damages or losses occurring during the delivery or return of artworks via mail or cargo. Artworks can be collected in person at the end of the exhibition or returned to participants via cargo or mail.

6- Participants whose artworks are exhibited will be sent a digital catalog with ISBN containing images of the artworks and a digital participation certificate.

7- Our institution can use the artwork visuals, along with the name and artworks’ details, without copyright payments, for the announcement and publication of the ‘Half a Century’ Group Exhibition of the Symposium on the Past, Present, and Future of Arts and Design on the 50th Anniversary of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dokuz Eylül University, on social media and various press and media outlets.

8- Participants should send one image of their artwork, an artist’s photo, the “Letter of Commitment” and the “Explicit Consent Approval Form” to the email address ellinciyilgsf@deu.edu.tr.

9- The printed copies of the “Letter of Commitment” and the “Explicit Consent Approval Form” with wet signatures must be included with the artwork shipment. The “Explicit Consent Approval Form” can be accessed from the “Information and Explicit Consent Text” section at the following link: https://acikriza.deu.edu.tr/ar/?aref=E7D96A5F-68DB-4D7A-BC6B-A6C503F93D8F

10- For the digital catalog, the artwork image must be in JPEG format, with a resolution of no less than 300 dpi, and the size should not exceed 3000 pixels.

How to name the image: Name_Surname_DEUGSF_Half_Century_ArtworkTitle.jpg

11- The artist’s photo must be in JPEG 3/2 format, with a minimum short side length of 1080 px and a resolution no less than 300 dpi. How to name the file: FirstName_LastName.jpg