1991, relocation of the METU Science Tree to gate A1

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1991

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The first and second-place works in the "Atatürk Monument Competition," launched by our university in 1965 to be placed on the campus, have become symbols of the METU campus today. This competition, opened with the idea of ​​beautifying the campus with cultural and artistic works, resulted in Şadi Çalık's work, now located behind the Rectorate building and depicting Atatürk's principles, winning first place. The concrete monument that won second place was created by sculptor Tamer Başoğlu. Başoğlu explained the monument as follows: "This monument is the first sculpture in Turkey to abstractly depict Atatürk and his revolutions. In this sculpture, Atatürk and his revolutions are depicted in a ruined and devastated Anatolian city, resembling the mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb exploding on a dynamic and powerful root." Each point on the statue symbolizes Atatürk's revolutions. When the statue was being installed, Rector Kemal Kurdaş stated that within the Republic of Turkey founded by Atatürk, they were making strides in science and technology with a modern mindset, and that Middle East Technical University was entirely a tree of science. He suggested naming the work "The Tree of Science" because it represented the beginning of modern science, technology, and a new mindset in Türkiye. It was initially placed on the summit of the hill to the right of the campus entrance; however, as the surrounding trees grew and obscured the monument from a distance, it was moved to its current location next to the entrance gate. The statue, which stands at the entrance of the campus today, has been known as the "Tree of Science" ever since.

Subject Keywords

Art on campus, METU Sculptures, Tree of Science, METU Atatürk Monument Competition, METU Atatürk Monument Competition, METU Atatürk Monument Competition, METU Atatürk Monument Competition

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https://hdl.handle.net/11511/118738
https://bellek.metu.edu.tr/handle/11511/118738

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METU Bellek, Multimedia