The “More than Mr. 5%: the Early Life of Calouste Gulbenkian” exhibition is now officially open to the public. One of its first renowned visitors was novelist Orhan Pamuk, who on the 3 of October 2014, toured the exhibition, along with the President of the Foundation and board member Eduardo Marçal Grilo.Orhan Pamuk was born in Istanbul in 1952, in the same district in which he lives today.  Although at a young age he dreamed of becoming an artist, and even briefly attended an architecture course at Istanbul Technical University, at age 23, after graduating in journalism, he decided to become a novelist. His many works have been translated into 61 languages, and he has been awarded a multitude of prizes. In 2006 TIME magazine chose him as one of the 100 most influential persons of the world and he became the second youngest person to ever receive a Nobel Prize for Literature.

Mr. Pamuk was greeted by Razmik Panossian, the Director of the Armenian Communities Department, and Jonathan Conlin, the curator of the exhibition. He was given a tour and explanations about the early life of the Founder.

The “More than Mr. 5%: the Early Life of Calouste Gulbenkian” exhibition is based on new research into the first half of Gulbenkian’s life. It brings to light areas of his life about which we previously knew nothing. Working in Armenian, Ottoman, Turkish, French, English and Portuguese, a small team of researchers has set about deciphering the letters, ledgers and other records preserved in the Foundation’s Art Library.

“We were honoured to have Mr. Pamuk visit the exhibition,” said Razmik Panossian, “we hope that through this small exposition we can highlight the personal story of our Founder, an Armenian of the Ottoman Empire, to a Portuguese and international audience.”

For more information about the exhibition download the flyer. The exhibition will run from the 3 of October to the 3 of November.