The recipient of the Vehbi Koç Award, presented as part of the 100th anniversary of the Koç Group, has been announced as artist Canan Tolon in the field of culture.
Tolon was selected from three nominees proposed by the selection committee, which included Zeynep Çelik, Ayla Ödekan, Kerem Kabadayı, Murathan Mungan and Sadık Karamustafa, alongside the board of the Vehbi Koç Foundation. Her work focuses on themes such as human experience, transformation and memory.
Adopting an approach that encourages viewers to think rather than using a didactic language, the artist addresses social realities through themes such as migration, destruction and time.
The ceremony also featured the introduction of a film titled “Our 100, Filled with Unforgettable Faces,” prepared for the group’s centenary. Performed live by actor Halit Ergenç and musician Alança Oskay with an orchestra, the film presents the group’s journey from past to present and its vision for the second century.
Ömer Koç, chairman of Koç Holding, said the 25th edition of the Vehbi Koç Award ceremony held special significance as it coincided with the group’s 100th anniversary.
He stressed the importance of the Vehbi Koç Award, which is presented annually on a rotating basis in the fields of education, culture and health to individuals contributing to Türkiye’s development.
“This year’s recipient represents an approach that goes beyond conventional patterns and invites reflection. The most valuable aspect of art is its ability to question the familiar and encourage change. For this reason, we see supporting culture and the arts not as a choice but as a duty to our people and our Republic,” he said.
Tolon said the award granted by the Vehbi Koç Foundation serves as both encouragement and support for the future.
Describing artistic production as “a solitary yet mentally crowded process,” she added, “I would like to thank the foundation and the members of the selection committee for deeming me worthy of this award. As a child, the motto ‘You can be anything you want’ never felt valid for me; it was even somewhat intimidating. Knowing this at an early age strangely gave me a sense of freedom and did not prevent me from dreaming. Artistic creation is a very solitary process, yet it is formed with a crowd in the mind — those close to you, those you have not yet met or will never meet. You imagine establishing a dialogue with them. Imagining is a form of power.”
