Calouste Gulbenkian’s long path, from his childhood in Istanbul to the latter years of his life in Lisbon, shaped his personality and influenced the Foundation that he decided to create in Portugal as a Portuguese institution.
A pioneer in the oil industry, a demanding art collector, a diplomat and philanthropist, Calouste Gulbenkian was a perfect example of the synthesis of the eastern culture of his birth and origins, and the western culture in which he was educated and lived. Other revealing features of his character were his great sensitivity towards the harmony of nature and a particular taste for admiring its beauty.
Naturally, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s activities reflect these characteristics of the founder’s personality and aim to support efforts to foster the universal values inherent to the human condition, respect for diversity and difference, a culture of tolerance and the conservation of the environment in man’s relationship with nature.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.prize.gulbenkian.pt/ThePrize
