Umut Özbay’la Röportaj

Interview with Umut Özbay
Project:Markets Fluctuate

Interview with Umut Özbay
Project:Markets Fluctuate
Amber :You have attended to Amber with Markets Fluctuate. What was your purpose with this project?
Umut: One of the aspects I want to achieve with my project is that to use items that have never been used as an art object before. Financial items are not exactly aesthetically pleasing. I tried to combine two very different concepts, music and economy. If we go a little more further conceptually; you realize the constant and repetitive nature of global markets similar to music. In music, notes flow in a certain rhythm, repeating in an orderly way. In global economies there are crisis in every five years; or if we zoom in the time; dollar rises up to 1.75 Turkish Lira five times a day. Interactive art combines unexpected things together. And sometimes includes the audience in the experience. There is a room of market in Markets Fluctuate ; this room is a control room where all the financial datas stored. If one wants they could collapse the whole system by pressing “enter”.
Amber: Could you tell us your process of production?
Umut: In sometime last year I came up with this idea, I thought using the numbers in economy to control music was a good idea. But during that year I was involved with physical performances as interaction; therefore, I started working on this project 3 – 4 months ago. I guess the most exciting moment of this process you mention was when I combined MAX and EXCEL together. After that it was all about choosing sounds and visuals.
Amber: For the audience that couldn’t see your project could you explain how it works?
Umut: The instrument is a kind of a music box that produces noises from the financial data. As it was installed during Amber Festival, you’re listening the sounds in a dark room and watching stars sliding synchronized with the stock market on LCD screen.
Amber: What do you think about interactivity in art?
Umut: The interactivity in arts is a new experience for me. It’s an innovation computer technologies offer. Therefore I bind its existence with the technology. Technological art reacts to viewers and their movements; as a result it interacts with them. You can control and use it to create something absolutely new. Contemporary art has a flowing structure. Visuals and sounds flows and even the graphics are moving. A while ago I watched an interactive theatre. The performers and the room were equipped with sensors, constantly moving. The performers could control the lighting and the videos reflected to walls as decoration with their body movements. It was very interesting and fun…
Amber: You are one of the few Turkish artists that attended Amber. What do you think about art that created with digital technologies?
Umut: Even though, it is not common in Turkey; it’s getting to be. Amber is a great example of this. There are many interesting things to do, watch and experience during these 9 days
Amber: You are creating sound installations. Could you tell us a little bit about obs.cure?
Umut: Obs-cure.com is a blog-site where I store and upload my songs and experimental videos.
Amber: For the ones who are not familiar this subject to describe the borders could you please explain electro acoustic music?
Umut: Although electroacustic music it is coming from a highly academic background; I think it cover all types of music that are produced with computers (or analog instruments) and cannot be guessed flows to from where it starts. I think sound world is very important. You think of the kinds of sounds and how they affect people. Of course the presentation is very important as well. It has to be different than where the traditional music presented because in electroacustics there isn’t any performance. You listen to a recording. Someone described it as a speaker orchestra. When you go listen to an electroacustic music and you only see two or more speakers. But there are other examples like Jhon Cage and Merce Cunningham, who combine performance with electroacustic music. Or as a recent example there is Palindrome’s physical performance interconnected with the electroacustic music during Amber08.
Amber: Most of us dont know Bülent Arel is the pioneer of electronic music and it is not easy to reach this information. So how did you learn about Bülent Arel?
Umut: Four or five years ago I read Bulent Arel`s biography by Filiz Ali. There were only 2 books I knew on electronic music then, Ilhan Mimaroglu’s book and this biography. I find it very interesting; you know the two pioneers of this new music trend during 50’s was Turkish. Later I learned about Bulent Arel to Columbia Priceton studios and to many followers in France, IRCEM and later MIAM… I can say, Bulent Arel’s life and his achievements opened a new door for me.
Amber: And how did Arel effect your work?
Umut: Bulent Arel’s music is free and innovative. He always aims for the best and the original. Those are the values I follow too, freedom and innovation. In addition, as a technician I can say that we are all using technologies that are discovered by Arel and people of his time. Synthesizer, drums, sequencer, modulation device, computer programs… all were created by academic technicians at the time. Today we – musicians – are still, regardless of the style, using these instruments.
Amber: Could you tell a little bit about your future projects?
Umut: In the future I might make music for a dance show and my postgraduate education still continuous. My doctorate is on interactive music; therefore, the more I find creative ways to combine these two the better it is.
For more information : http://www.obs-cure.com/ Translation into English: Ece Savaş Yılmaz
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calls for amber’11 “NEXT ECOLOGY”

amberFestival>>>

amber’11 Art and Technology Festival
4-13 November 2011, Istanbul

NEXT ECOLOGY
call for artworks

deadline for submissions: 10th of August 2011
submit your work >

amberFestival is interested in interactive installations that explore the theme of “NEXT ECOLOGY” in today’s world.

We see the theme as a tool to think and work with, and the festival as an opportunity to raise an artistic voice. You alone will define that voice.

The works selected among the applications to this international call, will be exhibited at amber’11 Art and Technology Festival. We also encourage outdoor interactive installations.

Details »

Playface Intercult – Museum Quertier, Viyana

PlayFace InterCult

Duration:
Apr 21 to May 8, daily 10:00-19:00
Venue: freiraum quartier21 INTERNATIONAL
Opening: Wed, Apr 20, 19:00
Free admission!

Folder

“PlayFace InterCult” offers a playful exploration of the interfaces between humans and machines, curated by Ekmel Ertan, Martin Kaltenbrunner, and Georg Russegger.

On view in the freiraum quartier21 INTERNATIONAL exhibition space, it is presented in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and features selected projects by the Interface Culture Lab at the Linz University of Art and young media art from the Istanbul-based amber Art and Technology Platform.

Participating artists include Nagehan Kurali (TUR), Osman Koc (TUR), Muharrem Yildirim (TUR) & Aytac Kanaci (TUR), Ahmet Türkoglu (TUR), Murat Durusoy (TUR), Selin Özcelik (TUR), Vesela Mihaylova (BUL), Timothy Devine (AUS), Tiago Martins (POR), Ricardo O’Nascimento (BRA), Andreas Zingerle (AUT), Reinhard Gupfinger (AUT), Mar Canet (ESP), Jayme Cochrane (CAN), and Travis Kirton (CAN). The exhibits are interactive and designed to provide visitors with a hands-on experience.


Side program
in English
Date:
May 6, 11:00-21:00
Venue:
freiraum quartier21 INTERNATIONAL

11:00-13:00 “Morning Session” Workshop following the exhibition
14:00-17:00 amberPlatform Istanbul. Presentation of works from amberFestival, Artists-in-Residence of quartier21.
16:00-19:00 “Thumb fu” Workshop. Creating Hand-puppets with sensors and sound for Kung-Fu-Fighting. Thumb Fu! is super enhanced thumb wrestling. The artists use conductive fabric and thread to create thumb suits. When the characters touch, sound effects are triggered.
19:00 “PlayFace InterCult – Beyond Gaming”. Lecture with Ekmel Ertan, Martin Kaltenbrunner and Georg Russegger. Introduction of Interface Cultures Lab, the Ludic Interfaces Project, and amberFestival. Backgrounds to the cooperation and networks with practical examples from the exhibition will be presented.
20:00 ReactablePerformance by Martin Kaltenbrunner

image: TypeCity:Istanbul (c) Travis Kirton

 

ENTER: DATAPOLIS (April 14-17, 2011)

Prague Call for Participation | Deadline 22|2|2011

ENTER: DATAPOLIS (April 14-17, 2011) is the 5th art | tech biennale held in
Prague, Czech Republic, organized by CIANT.

ENTER: DATAPOLIS festival is realized in the framework of Global Gateweay project supported by Istanbul 2010 European Capital Of Culture – Civil Society Dialogue Grant Program. BIS (amberPlatform) is one of the partners of the Global Gateway project.
See http://datacity.amberplatform.org and http://10.amberfestival.org as well as http://www.globalgatewayproject.eu
http://www.amberplatform.org

http://festival-enter.cz

Exhibitions | Performances | Lectures | Debates | Workshops | Screenings

DATAPOLIS is a call for theory and practice based proposals addressing
emerging interactions of media technologies, novel visualization practices
and urban realities.

Details »

amberConference’10; 4-7 November 2010; Program

4-7 November 2010, İstanbul Modern Cinema Hall
www.amberconference.org

briefly

The second international conference of amberConference will be held in conjunction with the amber’10 Art and Technology Festival, on 6,7 November 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey. The aims and scope of this conference are to create a platform of discussion and dissemination for the various themes and topics in which Science, Art and Technology converge.

Details »

amber’10 Art and Technology Festival is on

amber’10 Art and Technology Festival, 5th-14th of  November 2010,

Sanat Limanı (Antrepo No:5)

amber’10 Art and Technology Festival “DA T ACITY” 5-14 November 2010 Sanat Limanı (Antrepo No:5)
amber’10 Art and Technology Festival which has chosen its theme for this year as “Datacity” with the intention of drawing attention to the increasing importance of the generation and utilization of any kind of data on cities and urban life, will also be hosting “amberConference” which is going to be held for the second time this year focusing on issues around “City and Data”.

amberFestival organized by BIS (Body Process Arts Association) since 2007, will meet its audience for the fourth time this year.
amberFestival continuing to be the only Art and Tehnology/Media Arts festival of Turkey is being supported by Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency since 2008.

Details »

amberPlatform hosting “PLAY THE CITY” organized by TREC

27th of September – 20th of October

YAPYAŞA, an interactive city game, is part of ‘PLAY THE CITY’, an Istanbul-Netherlands based city research and design program running until 2012, initiated by TReC (The Responsive City).

Details »

Datacity Seminar Series

18th September – 30th October

Datacity Seminar Series

Talks in the conjunction of the Data and the City
Every Saturday between 16:00-19:00 at amberPlatform (Karaköy)

http://datacity.amberplatform.org

Xarene ile röportaj

Interview with Xarene./amber09

Which art project do you attend the Amber Festival with? Details »

Hans Bernhard ile röportaj

Interview with Hans Bernhard

Which art project do you attend the Amber Festival with? Details »

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