Across the Line

We at Squidsoup were delighted to be invited to Istanbul by the British Council, Zorlu Holding, Quays Culture and Digi.logue to take part in this collaborative exploration of the possibilities of digital media art with twelve emerging artists from Turkey. We were there for an intense two week period, an immersive experience in itself, working with the various organisations and artists to produce new work and put together this exhibition, Across the Line, AltCity Istanbul. It was a hugely memorable experience, and we were honoured to be a part of it.

 

-Anthony Rowe, Squidsoup

 

What lies across the line?

Creating artworks out of the trace of interaction between technology, physical objects and various disciplines, the exhibition focuses on the sense of exploration when one goes across the line. Bringing the experience of Istanbul’s chaotic urban texture with physical structures and advanced technologies through concrete installations, mechanical structures and digital surface deformations, Across the Line looks for a new balance and harmony at the heart of this meta-structure.

Concrete, Ethem Cem (Audio/Visual Installation)

Digital art is something very commonplace and everyday now. Artists have always used technology, whether it’s within painting, sculpture, photography, installation. Digital art is about embracing some of the tools we have now in our everyday lives, in our pockets, on our devices; things we use at home and at work. Artists may be in the early decades of using digital, but there are some very well established names and wonderful artworks that are critically acclaimed internationally. I work in the UK at The Lowry, an arts centre very similar to the venue at the Zorlu Performing Arts Centre, and can see many ways in which our two countries can work together to create new exhibitions and performances that use digital.

-Lucy Dusgate, The Lowry & Quays Culture

Organic Geometry, Kerim Dündar (Visual Installation)

Having gone beyond their lines into others and interacting with each other at meeting points to give birth to this collaboration and harmony, artists are inspired by the creation of a cognitive utopic living space. Numeric values placed in tactile objects, electrical currents, light pieces, mechanical structures and sounds encourage onlookers to ponder that the utopia of creating one’s own future is only possible through a collective consciousness and the flexibility and transparency of lines between concepts.

Night Walk, Gülfidan Özmen – Zeynep Budak (Light and Reflection)

AltCity Istanbul, bringing artists from different disciplines together to reinterpret the cultural memory of the city on the basis of the methods developed by the technology, gives us a perspective out of rhythm to our usual situations. We believe that supporting British Council’s’ project which brings new experiences to young artists in different cities, as Digi.logue and moving traditional art interaction with technology to Istanbul, is a valuable step.

-Lalin Akalan, Digilogue Artistic Director

Equation.Pi, Özcan Saraç (Mathematical Data Processing)

Each work tells its own story in relation to this utopia, continuing to build a dialogue with the visitors, to interact with their lines, and to invite them into their own lines.

Text
Hazal Döleneken

Click for detailed information about all works!