
<p><strong>Hot take: holding a digicam in 2025 is basically wearing a neon sign that says, “I know vibes when I see them.” And no, I’m not talking about megapixels, HDR, or whatever AI sharpening filter is trending. I’m talking taste. The thing is, the 2000s never actually died. Y2K didn’t fade. It just went into hibernation until Gen Z opened the closet, found a pink Motorola Razr, and said, “Yeah… this still eats.” From low-rise jeans to wired earbuds, everything from the 2000s is cycling back, and the digicam is our shiny, pocket-sized time machine. Owning one isn’t just retro. It’s an all-access pass to permanent coolness.</strong></p>



<p>Anyone can whip out an iPhone, tap Portrait Mode, and spam their camera roll with 80 near-identical selfies. But that’s too easy. A digicam? That’s intentional chaos. You pick your moment, press the button, and pray the shot slaps. You’re not getting instant, Instagram-ready perfection. You’re getting crunchy, overexposed flashes of reality — and that’s what makes it art. And let’s be honest: the ritual is the point. The clunky sound when you turn it on. The grainy little preview screen. The suspense of waiting until you upload to your iphone or laptop to see if you blinked. It’s the anti-social-media mindset in a world drowning in FaceApp-smooth perfection. You’re not chasing likes in real-time. You’re building a memory bank for yourself first, the feed second.</p>



<p>Everyone is constantly online… Do not blame Gen Zs. Doomscrolling, posting, deleting, reposting, overthinking captions like our lives depend on it. But when you’ve got a digicam, you get a free pass to slow down. You stop living for the algorithm and start living for the actual moment. Suddenly, you’re not worried if the lighting is TikTok-approved. You’re catching messy laughter, blurry dance floors, and badly lit late-night pizza runs — stuff that’s too real for a curated feed but too good to lose.</p>



<p>Digicams are a rebellion against social media’s obsession with perfection. They’re proof that Y2K’s heart is still beating in every grainy pixel. And honestly? The 2000s were never dead. They just waited for us to be cool enough to appreciate them again. Real taste never goes out of style.</p>


Point, Shoot, Slay!


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>For Ferhat Gündüzalp, summer isn’t about chasing clichés — though he admits he’s got at least one good sunset photo saved. Between quick escapes, inspiration trips to Tokyo and Seoul, and a well-mixed margarita, his season is all about keeping it effortless. Keep it simple… Escape whenever possible, get inspired along the way, and don’t overthink the rest.</strong></h2>



<p><strong>A song that reminds you of summer?</strong></p>



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<iframe title="Spotify Embed: Bu Yüzden" style="border-radius: 12px" width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/7ARNzfrqpURb3Era5uY7rX?utm_source=oembed"></iframe>
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<p><strong>Favorite cocktail?<br></strong>Definitely a margarita &#8211; it gets you tipsy faster.</p>



<p><strong>Your favorite summer destination?<br></strong>For a holiday, I escape wherever I can. Tokyo and Seoul are part of my usual route during the year, at least once to inspire.</p>



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<p><strong>Sunrise or sunset?<br></strong>Mmm… actually, I don’t feel a thing for either. But I have a sunset picture. I’ll call my therapist! Thanks for making me realize.</p>



<p><strong>Best summer outfit?<br></strong>My go-to summer look is all about combining different fabrics and attitudes</p>



<p><strong>Favorite summer food?<br></strong>Watermelon + ezine peyniri. name a better duo.</p>



<p><strong>Show us your summer selfie!</strong></p>



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HOTLIST: Ferhat Gündüzalp


<p><strong>Greatness often has an uncanny relationship with serendipity. One moment might feel awkward, even antagonistic; later it is recalled as a defining stroke of genius. Irving Penn and Miles Davis, creative titans in their own fields, met exactly in such a moment. What makes a photograph legendary? Is it the subject, the photographer, or the setting? Penn’s series titled “The Hand of Miles Davis” suggests that greatness can be held in the palm of a hand. It exposes the jazz legend’s weathered palm, raw and open to imagination, and ambiently translates music into photographic form. Want to talk about one of the most iconic album covers of all time?</strong></p>



<p>Penn is remembered as one of the 20th century’s most influential photographers. He came to photography almost accidentally after studying design and working in commercial art. At the start of his career, art director Alexander Liberman of Vogue taught him to use an 8 × 10-inch camera and allowed him to experiment on the printed page. Penn’s fashion photographs blended portrait and still life; he rejected elaborate settings and placed models against plain backdrops, isolating them so that their character could speak for itself. Over time, he applied this minimalist approach to portraits of artists, musicians, and writers, stripping away cultural associations to reveal personality. This approach resulted in a distinctive visual style that set Penn apart from his contemporaries.</p>



<p>His portraits often eliminate backgrounds or faces, isolating the subject from any anecdotal context to create a pure space for experimentation. Penn&#8217;s work blurred the boundaries between commercial assignments and fine art, weaving a personal vision through fashion campaigns, advertising, and travel photographs. From this sensitivity around form and gesture, &#8220;The Hand of Miles Davis&#8221; happened. An invisible trumpet played a mute jazz solo, one that can only be heard through your eyes.</p>



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<p>By 1986, Miles Davis had already reinvented jazz multiple times. He had spearheaded bebop in the 1940s, cool jazz and modal experiments in the 1950s, orchestral collaborations with Gil Evans, electric fusion in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and then retreated due to health issues. His comeback in the 1980s saw him employing younger musicians and pop sounds on &#8220;The Man with the Horn&#8221; (1981), &#8220;You&#8217;re Under Arrest&#8221; (1985), and &#8220;Tutu&#8221; (1986). In the official Miles Davis site&#8217;s retrospective, writer Ashley Kahn notes that the tracks on &#8220;Tutu&#8221; were created with Davis&#8217;s voice in mind, not merely as backing tracks; the record&#8217;s success owed much to this thoughtful collaboration. A food for thought.</p>



<p>On 1 July 1986, the two met at Penn’s New York studio for the cover shoot of “Tutu”. Miles Davis brought only a few things: a hairdresser, some golden jewelry, and his infamous attitude. Penn later recalled that when he attempted to greet his subject, Davis completely ignored him. This was a clash of two titans, Conflict was a natural response. After the hair and jewelry were arranged, the musician took his place before the large-format camera. The photographer and the trumpeter engaged in a terse dance of control and consent. According to Penn’s account in a 2004 Vogue feature, Davis teased: “I bet you want me to take this shirt off?” Penn replied, “Yep.” Davis continued, “I bet you want me to take all these gold chains off, too?” Penn again said, “Yep.” For about an hour they worked in silence, the camera recording variations on a face and a hand that had defined half a century of music.</p>



<p>Penn’s minimalism shaped the session. He stripped away props, jewellery, and even the musician&#8217;s shirt, isolating the silhouette against a seamless background. The resulting cover photograph is a stark, black-and-white close-up of Davis&#8217;s face, lit so that every wrinkle reads like a musical score. These pictures became an integral part of the music&#8217;s visual representation. Complementary images of Davis&#8217;s hands appear on the inner sleeve and disc label and are still highly sought after.</p>



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<p>At the end of the shoot, Penn thanked his subject. “He got up, came over to me, and kissed me on the mouth,” Penn recounted. “I didn’t know what to say. We shook hands, and he left. Later, I got the chance to know his music, and it struck me as being visual art of the most profound kind. How terrible I couldn’t share that with him then”Penn later said that after the shoot he went home and listened to Miles Davis’s music; “I was blown away by him,” he said in an interview. “That was it.”</p>



<p>The Tutu packaging, designed by art director Eiko Ishioka, won a Grammy for Best Album Package. The stark images by Penn, printed with platinum palladium richness, gave visual form to Davis’s abstract sound. How do you think creative tension yields profound art? In that studio on a hot July day, Penn coaxed from Davis. Serendipity, humility, tension, and trust all played their parts. But for Penn the kiss was all there is to remember.</p>


The Day Irving Penn Made Jazz Stand Still “Hand of Miles Davis”


<p><strong>Why Do We Act Like Influencers Even When We’re Not Getting Paid? Let’s be real. Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, it feels like everyone’s out here living their best influencer life. Perfectly styled photos, quirky captions, daily “vibes,” and trendt video edits that took hours to make. But here’s the catch: most of us aren’t getting paid a dime for it. So why do we still act like influencers, posting and sharing like it’s our full-time job? The line between “influencer” and “regular person” has totally blurred. Thanks to smartphones and social media, everyone’s a content creator now. Whether you’re sharing your lunch, your workout, your latest outfit, or your random thoughts, you’re basically running your own mini channel. And that means you’re part influencer community, whether you like it or not.</strong></p>



<p>Why do we do it? Well, there’s something addictive about getting likes, comments, and those little emojis. It’s a tiny boost to our ego, a quick hit of social approval that makes us feel seen and appreciated. Even without a sponsorship deal, that digital applause satisfies all.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Posting on social media isn’t just about sharing what’s happening, it’s about showing who we want to be. We’re all storytellers, carefully picking what parts of our lives to put on display. Maybe we want to come off as adventurous, funny, or inspiring. Acting like influencers is just us controlling our own narrative and trying to make sure it looks good.</p>



<p>So yeah, even if there’s no paycheck involved, acting like influencers is just part of how we roll today. It’s about connection, creativity, and making sure we’re heard in a noisy digital world. Everyone’s a content creator now and whether you’re chasing followers or just sharing with friends, you’re playing the game in your own way.</p>


No Sponsorship Needed


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lal Bilgutay is living her Mediterranean summer all around, with very lace moves and tomato-filled tables. From waking up in her Bodrum home to chasing those magical sunsets, her days blend the warmth of village breakfasts, poolside hangouts, and the simple joy of delicious, fresh flavors. Here’s a glimpse into her sun-soaked, taste-rich season.</h2>



<p><strong>A song that reminds you of summer?</strong></p>



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<p><strong>Favorite cocktail?</strong></p>



<p>This summer began with Sangrias in Spain and continued with the ones I made at home. A lovely Piña Colada, on the other hand, takes me back to my childhood every summer… I can’t decide between the two.</p>



<p><strong>Define your perfect summer day?<br></strong><br>I wake up in my house in Bodrum and walk to the village breakfast spots in Dirmil. After a long breakfast that starts with a delicious börek, the day is completely dedicated to sunbathing with Emrecan and Canan, the pool regulars, plus whoever happens to be in Bodrum at the time. The whole day is spent by the pool or the seaside. In the late afternoon, mussels are ordered, and the day ends at a lovely fish restaurant.</p>



<p><strong>Favorite summer food?&nbsp;<br></strong><br>Delicious tomato salads, mezes, and gazpachos.</p>



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<p><br><strong>Bodrum or Çeşme?&nbsp;<br></strong><br>As a part-time Bodrum local, of course Bodrum.<br><br><strong>One irreplaceable thing in your summer bag?&nbsp;<br></strong><br>My Laura Mercier lip liner.<br><br><strong>Sunrise or sunsets?&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>Of course, the sun dip. Especially on summer evenings, it’s something else… I always leave the house with a slight rush to catch that magical moment on my way to dinner. The sky is somewhere between orange and purple, the sea shimmers gently, and the city is slowly getting ready for the night. The most beautiful hours of summer.</p>



<p><strong>Best summer outfit?&nbsp;<br></strong><br>This summer, maybe because of Cekette’s new collection, I’m in love with everything about lace.<br><br><strong>Show us your summer selfie!</strong></p>



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<p><br><br></p>


HOTLIST: Lal Bilgutay


<p><strong>Lithuanian filmmaker Saulė Bliuvaitė’s feature-length debut <em>Toxic</em> (Akiplėša) captured global attention when it won the Golden Leopard at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival. As unsparing as a measuring tape and as sharp as high heels, the story looks at the exploitative fashion industry through the eyes of determined teenagers and paints a portrait of girls zigzagging between competition and friendship.</strong></p>



<p>The story revolves around Marija and Kristina, two teenage girls from the industrial outskirts of Kaunas. Bliuvaitė, places the body at the core of her vision, crafting a coming‑of‑age story that glows with compassion for the bruises of shortened adolescence. Marija, abandoned by her mother and living with her florist grandmother, and Kristina, a tougher, street‑wise girl, form an unlikely bond when they both sign up for a modelling agency. The price of their dream is steep: they stuff their mouths with cotton wool, skip meals and, in one shocking moment, swallow tapeworm eggs. The directory is shaped in a way that cuts from bicycle wheels in the fog to the father cavorting with his lady friend to disco music, creating a dreamlike, unexpected rhythm</p>



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<p>Despite the bleak subject matter, their friendship radiates warmth. Moving on from the devotion you cling to at 14 years old with trembling hands, bruised knees and smudgy eyeliner, a Letterboxd review summarized the whole thing as “a story of unrelenting cruelty told with such humanity and care.” The movie’s signature is definitely its coquette‑trashy‑Eastern Euro vibe. Phew, what a word that was. <em>Toxic</em> manages to confront harsh realities without losing its tender heart in a way that makes this unique perspective into a relatable one.</p>



<p>Bliuvaitė deliberately steers away from typical teen‑movie cinematography. In an interview she explained that she avoided the “constant zooming into faces” of most teenage films, insisting that the atmosphere and environment are as important as the characters. As a result, the camera roams through fog‑shrouded bicycle wheels, Soviet‑era cooling towers and the blue‑tiled walls of the modelling studio. The director drew inspiration from the documentary <em>Girl Model</em>, which follows real‑life model scouts, and from her own memories of Baltic schoolgirls being plucked from classrooms by modelling agencies. Some feelings from the pictures definitely stick in a haunting way;<em> </em>the “surgical lights” of the agency, Gediminas Jakubka’s electronic score amplifies the girls’ strained bodies, while slithering sound design evokes the tapeworm hiding in Kristina’s gut.</p>



<p><em>Toxic</em> refuses to moralise while confronting the dark side of the modelling world. Instead, it brings us close to Marija and Kristina’s inner lives. Rooted in the director’s own teenage memories, it exposes the wounds inflicted by beauty standards and consumer culture. It also shows how the idea of selling your body as an “escape” is born from a capitalist pressure that feels inevitable.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s a beautiful mix of poetry and brutality. You might want to look away sometimes, then immediately get warmhearted as Marija and Kristina embrace each other. With her Locarno win, Bliuvaitė is poised for wider recognition. Both familiar and foreign, harsh yet deeply human.</p>



<p>As we roll through the credits of this hauntingly beautiful world, we are inviting you to our playlist inspired by the movie:</p>



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Toxic (Akiplėša)


<p><strong>The concept of &#8216;getting used to&#8217; often brings a sense of emotional detachment, creating a space between familiarity and discomfort. In 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里, Yuhan Cheng brings us face-to-face with that liminal air. As the boundary between home and where we happen to live hardens, so does our reflection. Cheng uses intimacy to document the loneliness that obscures our view of the outside world. In this visual diary, the fish tank becomes more than a container; it is a metaphor for the fragile microcosms we build for ourselves.</strong></p>



<p>After relocating from Chengdu to New York to study film, Cheng found themselves turning inward. Confronting the isolations of migration and estrangement through the lens of their own body. They once said they often think about the concept of belonging; whether it’s to a place, a chosen family, or simply to one’s self. 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里 meditates on those same ideas.</p>



<p>A month into their new life in New York, Cheng encountered an abandoned fish tank, which became a pivotal symbol in their work. What could have been a fleeting, mundane encounter sparked the flames that bridged the soft edges of childhood memory with the sharp isolation of adulthood. A tank is, after all, its own sealed universe. Controlled and contained like the lives that we try so hard to build around ourselves. As if to ask: aren&#8217;t we all curating our own little fish tanks, deciding which feelings to display and which ones to let sink?</p>



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<p>The series frequently depicts individuals in moments of quiet vulnerability, capturing the subtle nuances of emotional collapse. You can find subjects at the edge of tears, drifting between revelation and resignation. Their short films share the same spirit: sparse rooms littered with traces of life, spaces where queer friends and chosen family drift in and out, speaking softly of love, grief, and the unknown in between. This visual softness lends emotional texture, turning vulnerability into something tangible. Cheng notes that this fluid structure is a reflection of their experience moving between Chengdu and New York, where similar feelings follow them wherever they are.</p>



<p>During their first week in New York, Cheng took their first nude self-portrait for a class assignment. Having just learned to process black-and-white photographs, they felt safe experimenting in the privacy of the makeshift darkroom that doubles as a bedroom. Meanwhile, Yuhan began documenting the things people often choose to hide, chronicling bitten cuticles, bruises, and scrapes accumulated without thought. Cheng often kept the physical negatives to themselves in a desire for attachment and permanence, as a way to &#8220;selfishly hold on to pieces of lived history.&#8221;</p>



<p>Cheng&#8217;s exploration of these themes is presented through a narrative that unfolds over 70 photographs, three short documentaries, and an installation. From snapshots of life in Chengdu to the disjointed stillness of New York, 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里 becomes less a document of place and more a confrontation with self. In between familiarity and estrangement, Cheng offers a visual essay on intimacy, isolation, and what it means to belong to the bubbles we build.</p>


Yuhan Cheng Tanks What We Don’t Show


<p><br><strong>In the age of algorithms and uncertainty, manifesting has emerged as a cultural phenomenon. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the secret to abundance or something that sounds deep but doesn’t really do anything. But beneath the glittery Instagram quotes and vision board aesthetics lies something more grounded, more human: manifesting isn’t about controlling the universe, it’s about calming our nervous systems. </strong></p>



<p>Let’s be real: “manifesting” gets clowned a lot online. People love to say it’s fake, delusional, or just an excuse to avoid doing the work. If you think staring at your vision board is gonna drop a million dollars into your bank account, maybe pump the brakes. But here’s the thing: for a lot of us, manifesting isn’t about magic. It’s about mental survival. It’s one of the few ways we’ve learned to calm our anxiety and show ourselves a little love in a world that’s constantly doing the most.&nbsp;</p>



<p>At its core, manifesting is a quiet rebellion against anxiety. It’s a way of saying, “I trust things will work out, even if I don’t know how yet.” That belief can be deeply soothing in a world that constantly reminds us of what’s out of our control.</p>



<p>When people repeat affirmations, visualize their future, or script out their dream lives, they’re not casting spells, they’re regulating fear. They&#8217;re gently steering their minds away from worst-case scenarios and toward the possibility of peace. And that’s not delusional. That’s emotional self-defense.</p>



<p>For some, manifesting is journaling what they want like it already happened. For others, it’s repeating affirmations like, “I am enough” or “I attract peace.” Sounds cheesy, but when your inner voice has been talking trash for years, saying something kind even if you don’t fully believe it yet can be life-changing.</p>



<p>Manifesting is lowkey therapy. Visualizing a good future? That’s a known anxiety coping skill. Affirmations? So maybe you’re not “asking the universe” for anything. Maybe you’re just rewiring your brain to stop spiraling and start hoping again. That’s not cringe. That’s healing.</p>



<p>And honestly? That’s kind of beautiful.</p>


Manifesting Is Less About Magic And More About Self-Love


<p><strong>In the summer of 2025, Berlin’s cultural scene is energized by <em>Dream Together</em>, a groundbreaking exhibition by one of the most original and transformative figures in contemporary art history: Yoko Ono. Hosted at the Neue Nationalgalerie, this exhibition doesn’t just place visitors in the position of spectators; it turns them into active participants in the artwork itself.</strong></p>



<p>True to its name,&nbsp;<em>Dream Together</em>&nbsp;is an invitation: “Let’s dream together,” says Ono. Rooted in themes of peace, healing, and collective action, the exhibition seeks to break free from the confines of the gallery and extend into everyday life. It’s not just about seeing—it’s about doing and feeling. Here, the viewer’s actions become the artwork itself.</p>



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<p>At the heart of the exhibition lies&nbsp;<em>Mend Piece</em>, a work where broken porcelain fragments are “repaired with wisdom and love.” Rather than hiding our fractures and flaws, this piece embraces them, symbolizing a process of healing through care and togetherness. As visitors piece the shards back together, they engage not only in a physical restoration but also in a social metaphor of “repairing together.”</p>



<p>Another striking element of&nbsp;<em>Dream Together</em>&nbsp;is&nbsp;<em>Play It By Trust</em>, a chess game played entirely with white pieces. This unconventional installation shifts the focus from competition to trust and cooperation. Visitors are encouraged to rethink what it means to move together and to truly understand one another, beyond the traditional rules of the game.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”</p>



<p>Yoko Ono</p>
</blockquote>



<p>Inspired by Ono’s past performance works centered around the theme of cleaning,&nbsp;<em>Cleaning Piece</em>&nbsp;invites participants to channel personal emotions into local river stones. This ritualistic act serves as a symbolic gesture—one of letting go of the past and making room for new beginnings.</p>



<p><em>Dream Together</em>&nbsp;creates a space where art and activism converge. In Ono’s vision, dreaming ceases to be a solitary act and becomes the first step toward collective transformation. Considering Berlin’s layered historical and political fabric, this exhibition goes beyond contemplation—it becomes a call to action.</p>



<p>If you want to be part of this unique experience and leave your own dream at the heart of Berlin,&nbsp;<em>Dream Together</em>&nbsp;is on view at the Neue Nationalgalerie until September 14.</p>



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A Call for Collective Dreams and Repair from Yoko Ono


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Summer is a curated experience. No objections accepted. So get a handle of your bohemian summer uniforms. Think linen that moves with the breeze and silhouettes that don’t ask for permission. Get your looks in check for the latest, tailor-made edition of HOTLIST: Hakan Yıldırım.</strong></h2>



<p><strong>A song that reminds you of summer?</strong></p>



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<p><strong>One object that instantly transforms you to summer?</strong></p>



<p>Straw hats!</p>



<p><strong>Your go-to summer outfit in 3 words?</strong></p>



<p>Linen, Havaianas, sunglasses.</p>



<p><strong>Your favorite summer destination? </strong></p>



<p>Greece or Scandinavia never in between.</p>



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<p><strong>Green plums or Watermelon?</strong></p>



<p>HONEYDEW MELON :)</p>



<p><strong>Cocktails or ice cream?</strong></p>



<p>Ice cream before natural wine.</p>


HOTLIST: Hakan Yıldırım


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What happens when code meets ceremony, or when generative art becomes a portal to presence? In a time where digital innovation often outpaces human connection, Encounters—a collaborative project by Scorpios and HOFA (House of Fine Art)—offers a striking alternative: a space where art, ritual, and technology coexist not in tension, but in harmony. HOFA co-founder Elio D’Anna says this collaboration is the declaration of how art, ritual, and technology can shape culture.</strong></h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>We step into the evolving world of Encounters—a curatorial experiment grounded in transformation, storytelling, and sensory immersion. From the windswept shores of Mykonos to the reflective rhythms of Bodrum, the project’s second edition deepens the relationship between audience and artwork, blurring the line between observer and co-creator. This is a new blueprint for cultural transformation.</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Could you tell us about the ‘Encounters’ project you developed with Scorpios? How did it come to life and how is it progressing?</strong></p>



<p>Encounters emerged from a shared vision between Scorpios and our team at HOFA to explore how digital and spiritual realms can coexist in meaningful, transformative ways. It began as a dialogue around creating immersive experiences that engage not just the senses, but also the soul. What started in Mykonos has now evolved into a platform for artistic exchange, combining generative art, ritual, and nature. Each edition deepens the conversation, bringing together artists and audiences in a space that invites reflection, connection, and transformation.</p>



<p><strong>‘Ever After’ is described as “a reflection on how creativity, code and ritual can help us design lives that grow, adapt and endure.” How do these concepts resonate within the selection?</strong></p>



<p>‘Ever After’ reflects our belief that creativity is a living system capable of adapting, regenerating, and sustaining meaning over time. The works we curated echo this philosophy: generative art that evolves, code-based works that respond to the environment such as the Maja Petric work, and pieces rooted in ritual practices as the upcoming Operator live performance and art release. These are not static visuals, they are living expressions designed to interact with the viewer’s own journey toward longevity, balance, and harmony.</p>



<p><strong>This project embraces the boundless world of digital arts through female artists with an approach centred on memory, transformation, and creativity. How does the selection of artwork intertwine with the world of Scorpios?</strong></p>



<p>Scorpios is a space where transformation, both personal and collective is central. Working with visionary female artists who engage memory and identity allowed us to channel that spirit. Their work often bridges ancient feminine wisdom with future-facing tools like AI and machine learning. This synergy mirrors the essence<strong> </strong>of Scorpios: rooted in the elemental, but constantly reaching for new forms of expression and connection.</p>



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<p><sub> Courtesy of Krista Kim and HOFA</sub></p>
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<p class="has-text-align-left"><em>&nbsp;</em>&#8220;<em><em><em><span class="font-snell">Art is not decoration at Scorpios, it’s initiation. It sets the tone for everything that happens there.</span></em></em></em>&#8220;</p>



<p class="has-text-align-left"><span><span class="font-snell">-Ellio D&#8217;Anna</span></span></p>
</div>



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<p><strong>The concepts of tradition and ritual have both a harmonic and contrasting relationship with the digital nature of the exhibition. Could you elaborate on this yin-yang?</strong></p>



<p>This duality is at the heart of Encounters. Technology is often seen as cold and futuristic, while ritual is seen as sacred and ancestral. But when we bring them together, something powerful happens. The digital becomes a vessel for the spiritual; the ritual is reimagined through code. It’s not contradiction, it’s integration.</p>



<p><strong>From your perspective, what does art mean within the DNA of Scorpios?</strong></p>



<p>Art is not decoration at Scorpios, it’s initiation. It sets the tone for everything that happens there. It’s how we enter altered states, how we reconnect with ourselves and with each other. Whether through light sculptures, sound, or digital form, art at Scorpios is a portal to presence. It helps us pause, feel, and open to the unknown.</p>



<p></p>



<p><strong>What were the focal sensitivities in your curation? In the second edition of Encounters, which artists come together and with what perspectives?</strong></p>



<p>For this edition, we focused on artists exploring the interplay between organic systems and intelligent machines. We looked for works that were generative, meditative, and site responsive. Artists like Sasha Stiles merge the algorithmic with the emotional, the mathematical with the mystical. We curated through resonance, not just aesthetic.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“Technology is often seen as cold and futuristic, while ritual is seen as sacred and ancestral. But when we bring them together, something powerful happens. The digital becomes a vessel for the spiritual; the ritual is reimagined through code. It’s not contradiction, it’s integration.”</p>



<p>&#8211; Elio D&#8217;Anna</p>
</blockquote>



<p><strong>What reflections or imprints do the selected works have on your own life? When and how did you encounter them?</strong></p>



<p>Many of these works found me in moments of personal transition—where I was questioning structure, identity, or rhythm. Sougwen’s robotic drawing rituals, for instance, resonated with my own search for a balance between control and surrender. Refik Anadol use of AI felt like dreaming in code. These pieces aren’t just artworks to me; they are mirrors and companions on the journey.</p>



<p><strong>How has the definition of the “observer” changed in this mutual relationship between human and digital work?</strong></p>



<p>The observer is no longer passive. In the generative age, the viewer becomes co-creator. Your presence, movement, data, even your breath can influence a work. We’ve moved from viewing to experiencing, from spectating to participating. The line between artist and audience is beautifully blurred.</p>



<p><strong>Is there a metric for creativity? What is the curator’s recipe when bringing works together?</strong></p>



<p>Curating is like composing music: it’s about rhythm, silence, tension, release. You listen to the works, to the space, and to the context. My “recipe” includes intuition, cultural relevance, and emotional coherence. If the works speak to each other and to the audience, then something true is happening.</p>



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<p class="has-text-align-right has-medium-font-size"><em><em><em><span class="font-snell">“Technology is often seen as cold and futuristic, while ritual is seen as sacred and ancestral. But when we bring them together, something powerful happens. The digital becomes a vessel for the spiritual; the ritual is reimagined through code. It’s not contradiction, it’s integration.”. </span></em></em></em></p>



<p class="has-text-align-right"><span><span class="font-snell">-Ellio D&#8217;Anna</span></span></p>
</div>



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<p><sub>Courtesy of Operator and HOFA</sub></p>
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<p><strong>Where does storytelling sit within this equation?</strong></p>



<p>Storytelling is the connective tissue. It turns fragmented experiences into journeys. Every Encounters edition is a narrative where the visitor steps in as protagonist. We create mythologies, modern rituals, and symbolic arcs through the selection and sequencing of the artworks. Storytelling gives shape to the abstract and meaning to the immersive.</p>



<p><strong>How do you see the role of the curator evolving within this process of digital transformation?</strong></p>



<p>The curator is becoming more of a systems thinker. We’re not just selecting works; we’re designing ecosystems. That includes interactivity, data ethics, technological interfaces, and emotional engagement. The curator now navigates between the technological and the metaphysical. We’re not just gatekeepers; we’re choreographers of experience.</p>



<p><strong>At which points does Scorpios’ philosophy intersect with HOFA?</strong></p>



<p>Both Scorpios and HOFA believe in art as transformation. We value authenticity, ritual, and pushing boundaries artistically and experientially. Scorpios creates physical environments that elevate consciousness, while our gallery HOFA and our tech company Kreation build the narrative and digital layers that expand that intention into new dimensions.</p>



<p><strong>How does the element of space come into play when it comes to a work interacting with the viewer? How does the ritual space affect the selection of works?</strong></p>



<p>The space is never neutral. Especially in a ritual context, it becomes part of the artwork’s energy field. We select works that listen to the space through movement, light, reflection and rhythm. In Mykonos and Bodrum, the sea, wind, and architecture shape how the pieces live. Viewers arrive expecting more than an exhibition, they expect transformation. So the space must guide the encounter, and the works must feel alive within it.</p>



<p><strong>Should we expect a third edition of Encounters? What is this collaboration between the two institutions evolving into?</strong></p>



<p>Yes, the third edition is already in the works. We see Encounters not as a series of exhibitions, but as a living framework growing with each location, artist, and audience. The partnership between Scorpios and HOFA is evolving into a long-term vision for how art, ritual, and technology can shape culture. This is just the beginning.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-right">Duygu Bengi <span style="text-align: right;"><span class="font-snell">In Conversation with</span></span><span style="font-size: revert; text-align: right; color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;"> </span>Ellio D&#8217;Anna</p>


Art as Ritual w/Ellio D’Anna


<p><strong>Everyone has that one grailed item they shape their whole personality around, right? Mine is stuck in the digitized suburbs of Y2K. Let me introduce you to the Casio WQV‑1 Wrist Camera. Yes, a wrist camera straight out of a spy kid fever dream. Full force with its tiny lens, grainy screen and all the charm of a Tamagotchi. But those 120×120‑pixel snaps weren’t just kitsch; they were precursors to the way we now broadcast ourselves. Man, Y2K’s culture was its own thing.</strong></p>



<p>In the tender beginnings of the new millennium, technology was having an identity crisis. Casio was one of the pioneers that turned tech into a cult item of expression. They even released the world’s first camera‑watch equipped with a lens and full LCD screen, nobody took it as a renovation. Suddenly your wrist wasn’t just telling the time; it was a means of capturing it.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Why does this matter now? Because those early digicams anticipated the era of micro‑tribes. As social media matured, we moved away from ego‑driven timelines toward niche corners where we could be part of something small, messy and real. Like micro-tribes! Online communities fill the void for self‑expression and belonging; anonymity fuels authenticity and people trust the consensus of peers more than influencer recommendations.</p>



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<p>Fast forward and digicams are back as fashion accessories. The indie‑sleaze revival has turned point‑and‑shoots into cult objects; Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and a legion of TikTok girls post tutorials and slideshows. We’re all infected with the Y2K bug and the items that come with it are more of a mood than accessories. Who would’ve though the overexposed flash and grainy quality that once defined MySpace photos are now desirable.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The trend comes in many colours, too. Scroll through social feeds and you’ll find creators wielding their own vintage weapon of choice. For some, it’s a battered iPhone 4; others, it’s Meta’s Ray‑Ban smart glasses. Being cult is not about being vintage at all, its more of a type of being. The main thing is about being the thing rather than being desirable. Each of these devices comes with its own micro‑tribe of adherents, defined as much by aesthetics as by hardware.</p>



<p>And, oh boy, the Casio WQV‑1 was a talisman. You could flick through ghostly monochrome pics of your friends in real time, a pre‑Instagram archive hidden in a chunky bracelet. It made timekeeping an act of self‑curation and quietly signalled your allegiance to a niche. Remember: this was a moment when getting impressions from virtual displays wasn’t a thing and all you had was your own cool self. The internet was a baby, but it didn’t miss out; forums were blooming with images from the watch. If you want a taste of that grit, sites like <a href="https://www.urban75.org/watchcam/">Urban75</a> still hold a few relics of that era. Some things are a matter of change yet some things define a change on its own. Riddle me that!</p>


How Casio WQV‑1 Pioneered Micro-Tribalism


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Summer is about carving your own space and staying there until the sun sets. Duygu Özen’s space is all about golden hours, juicy peaches, silky sand, and sea salt. Laid-back, unfiltered, and just the right amount of messy—just how we like it. Hotlist bottles that vibe, the kind that makes you forget time exists.</h2>



<p><strong>Bikini of this season?</strong></p>



<p>Love a good timeless basic black bikini or a plain one piece&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>What smell reminds you of summer?</strong></p>



<p>Sea salt</p>



<p>The classic scent of sunscreen&nbsp;</p>



<p>Peaches</p>



<p>Loewe Aire Sutileza &#8211; My favorite fragrance for summer nights.</p>



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<p><strong>The moment summer officially begins for you?&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>As soon as it gets too hot to layer:(&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Favorite summer food?</strong></p>



<p>Fresh and crispy olive oil dishes + seafood + juicy peaches + zesty lemon sorbet + yummy cocktails&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Happy hour or sunrise dip?&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>Sunrise dip!&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Bodrum or Çeşme?&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>I have to say Cesme since I’m from Izmir:)</p>



<p><strong>Show us your summer selfie!</strong></p>



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HOTLIST: Duygu Özen


<p><strong>When the enfant terrible of fashion looks down, what does he see? Two words, so cunt. Rick Owens has never been shy about using fetish as a medium with bondage-laced runways, statues pissing in gold arcs, models swinging mid-air like apocalyptic marionettes&#8230; Owens has done it all, leaving little to shock us. Yet, in 2025, his podium of rebellion looks surprisingly low-tech and deliciously absurd: OnlyFans. Yes, Rick Owens now has an account dedicated exclusively to feet pics, priced at $5/month.</strong></p>



<p>He calls it <em>“transgression till the day I die… a response to prissy moralism.”</em> Only Rick could turn toes into a manifesto. This isn’t a random stunt. Owens’ unexpected muse is Virginia Oldoini, the Countess of Castiglione, who in her later years retreated from the public eye and had photographers capture her feet as an act of controlled self-mythology. Owens echoes this ritual of aging and reinvention, calling it <em>“an interesting way of addressing aging.”</em> For him, the foot becomes a symbol of raw intimacy, power, and quiet decay—an everyday object elevated to cult status. It’s Rick’s idea of a soft revolution: no theatrics, just toes in high definition, still carrying the weight of a anti fashion empire.</p>



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<p>The beauty about it is in the cause. The fund of his OnlyFans go straight to The Allanah Foundation, a Paris-based non-profit that supports trans youth, emerging queer artists, and marginalized creative communities. For Owens, this is not about hype but redistribution. <em>“If I’m going to monetize my own body, I might as well fund someone else’s future with it,”</em> he has suggested in interviews. It’s a subversive twist on capitalism—using the most banal fetish content to funnel real money into spaces that need it most. OnlyFans, once dismissed as purely transactional, becomes in Owens’ hands a platform for resistance, queer solidarity, and alternative patronage. The act is as provocative as any of his runway moments—because what’s more punk than funding a new generation of outsiders with foot pics?</p>



<p>When you look at the bigger picture, Rick Owens is curating a disruptive form of new media rather than just selling sex. It’s clear as day that OnlyFans, TikTok, Instagram etc. have become the new cultural runways, where intimacy is currency and micro-gestures shape macro-trends. Owens isn’t just selling feet; he’s hacking the system, using its voyeuristic architecture to redistribute attention and wealth. In a digital era where every image is either scrollable or forgettable, Owens’ feet stand as a strange kind of permanence, crazy huh? Think of it as a recipe: algorithms, intimacy, and self-awareness are the ingredients that bake today’s cultural influence.</p>



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Rick Owens, OnlyFans and the Politics of Feet Pics


<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>There he is—Emrecan Sandal. A name that knows the language of self-love, wears fashion like second skin and polishes every moment. From mirror moments to sidewalk runways, he turns everyday life into a curated story of confidence, elegance, and quiet power. Because when you know your worth, every step becomes a statement.</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Your go-to summer outfit in three words?</strong></p>



<p>Elegant – Airy – Polished!&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Your favorite summer destination?</strong></p>



<p>Anywhere my mood aligns with the breeze and my pearls get the spotlight they deserve.</p>



<p><strong>Your perfect summer day?</strong></p>



<p>Because nothing says ‘perfect summer day’ like sweating in style and pretending I enjoy bugs.</p>



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<p><strong>Favorite summer food?</strong></p>



<p>Turkish mezes, obviously. Because why have one dish when you can stress over which of the twelve to start with?</p>



<p><strong>Bodrum or Çesme?</strong></p>



<p>Always Bodrum. Where the yacht parties never start on time, but your outfit better be perfect by 5.</p>



<p><strong>Cocktails or ice cream?</strong></p>



<p>Please… I’ll take McDonald’s at 2 AM in full glam, thanks.</p>



<p><strong>A Company?</strong></p>



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HOTLIST: Emrecan Sandal


<p>It’s July. Your feed is 80% sea views, 20% beach fits, and maybe a crying selfie captioned &#8220;healing era.&#8221; Suddenly, you’re sweating in your bedroom, Googling “cheapest flight to Mykonos” and wondering if your life is even real without a seaside sunset story.</p>



<p>Let’s pause. Do you actually want a summer vacation—or is this just seasonal FOMO wrapped in a coconut-scented illusion?</p>



<p>Don’t get us wrong: sun, sea, and silence hit different. There’s something magical about swimming until your skin wrinkles and eating overpriced ice cream in a towel. Science even says that being near water lowers stress and boosts your mood. But somewhere along the way, rest turned into content and vacations became performances. Now, if you’re not sipping an iced drink with a cryptic caption like “mentally here” (but you are there), it feels like you’re doing summer wrong. Here’s the reality: you don’t need to book a flight to prove you&#8217;re living your best life. Want peace? You can find it in your city, your room, your local park. Basically, no passport needed. </p>



<p>Real rest isn’t a destination. It’s logging off. It’s saying “no” without guilt. It’s choosing slow over scroll. For sure the beach is great. The seaside memories are the better ones. But to be rest, to healed. The way is not to jump in the sea and holding a cocktail in a happy hours. Or trying to pose for social media every step you take during the “vacation” is not the way of healing. Yes the beach is great. But so sleeping as well or having your own personal time and think about the further steps may heal you more than any others. Deleting Instagram/TikTok for a week, or reading a book you actually like (not just the one everyone says you should read).<br><br>So this summer, travel if you want. Don’t if you don’t. Do not go to the palaces that you have no idea just because you saw it on Instagram. Romanticize your life, enjoy every moment. Focus on your inner-self not the ones you see on socials. The vibe is intentional joy, not algorithm-approved aesthetics.</p>
