Conferences, panels, artistic and cultural activities, organized by the 'Lausanne 100th Anniversary Commemoration Committee' (Lausanne 2023), started in November last year . As part of these events, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, there was the opening of the exhibition '2+2=KRDSTN'. Works by artists from the 4 parts of Kurdistan and European artists are exposed.

Swiss and Kurdish people, politicians, and artists attended the opening of the exhibition at the Forum d'Hotel de Ville hall in Lausanne.

Payot: The consequences of the agreement of Lausanne were heavy for Kurds

Lausanne City Council member, Davit Payot, thanked the artists and said that the Treaty of Lausanne meant genocide and massacre for many peoples of the region. Payot said that the role of the Treaty of Lausanne in the division of Kurdistan into 4 parts had severe consequences for the Kurds that continue to this day. "Within the scope of both this exhibition and the events organized about the centenary of the Treaty, we draw attention to the historical destruction it caused."

Koyuncu: It is important for Lausanne people to know about the Treaty

Lausanne Municipality Council member, Sevgi Koyuncu said: "It is important for the people of Lausanne to know about the Treaty because it deprived millions of people of the opportunity to live freely in their ancestral lands. The worst consequences of this treaty were paid by the Kurdish people, my people. This treaty resulted in the death and expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people over 100 years. In this sense, this exhibition is very important for the people of Lausanne to know the consequences of this agreement for the Kurds and other minorities and the demands of the Kurds today."

Koç: Kurds want status

KCDK-E co-chair Yüksel Koç said that this exhibition is very important as it shows the chronology of the massacres and genocides that took place in the 4 parts of Kurdistan as a result of the Treaty of Lausanne. It also shows the resistance of the Kurdish people. Koç said: "If the Kurds continue to be subjected to political, cultural and identity genocides, this is the consequence of the Treaty of Lausanne. We, the Kurdish people, have not accepted this treaty for a century. We want to live freely with our own identity and culture. Kurdistan is no longer divided in four parts, the Kurds are now united."

Exhibition to stay open until 19 May

Curators Barış Seyitvan and Serdar Mutlu underlined the meaning and importance of the exhibition in their speeches.

The exhibition is at the Forum d'Hotel de Ville hall in Lausanne, and will be open to visitors until 19 May. Curated by Barış Seyitvan and Serdar Mutlu, the exhibition features works by Osman Ahmed, Havin Al-Sindy, Havar Amini, Vooria Aria, Khadija Baker, Savaş Boyraz, Wirya Budaghi, Timur Çelik, Salah Ebrahimi, Serhat Ertuna, Jacopo Gallico, Fatoş Irwen, Eren Karakuş, Serpil Odabaşı, Walid Siti, Hito Steyerl , Leyla Toprak.