As a result of Israel's attacks on Gaza, over 17,000 Palestinians and more than 5,000 children have suffered limb loss, leaving them permanently disabled. In response to this humanitarian tragedy, artists who refuse to remain silent are organizing an art auction to support the prosthetic needs of those who have lost limbs.
Led by renowned painters İlhami Atalay and Cemal Toy, a selection of around 200 works donated by 60 artists from both established and emerging generations will be presented to art lovers in a live auction broadcast on Instagram at 8:30 PM on Friday, April 18, 2025.
The auction will be streamed on the @cemaltoy account, and viewers will be able to place bids live during the broadcast. Art enthusiasts who make donations matching the suggested values will also have the opportunity to acquire works before the auction date.
Organized in collaboration with the Fatih Municipality, all proceeds from the event will be donated to the "Barrier-Free Gaza" prosthetics production project by AID (International Doctors Association), which provides prosthetics to amputees in Gaza.
Alongside works created using various techniques such as painting, drawing, and traditional arts, the auction will also feature İlhami Atalay's "Lines of Palestine" series, created through a live performance.
The artworks presented by the participating artists not only carry aesthetic value but also serve as witnesses to history.
Painter Cemal Toy, founder of the Birlikte Sanat Derneği (Art Together Association), shared the following remarks about the event:
"As artists, it is of course impossible for us to remain silent in the face of this oppression. Until now, we've stood against this genocide through various exhibitions and projects, trying to offer support through art. In this auction too, artists of all ages, led by İlhami Atalay, have created works that record this moment in history. The images our artists have drawn today represent destruction, resistance, and hope all at once. Just as Picasso's 'Guernica' became a universal symbol of the horrors of war in its time, İlhami Atalay's 'Lines of Palestine' series, created through live performance, serves as a testimony to the genocide taking place in Gaza."
