filmix

The idea of the art process has been evolved by time into a different way.

When we first started brain storming, we all had different yet similar ideas which we may assemble together.

As the theme is “Öte Beri” there are tons of ways to interprate the theme.

At the presentation, we have presented an idea, which we had thought we would continue till the exhibition.

Yet, the process we are at currently is its more limited but more detailed format.

We started with the idea of “social media”. In this point, “Öte Beri” was the effects of each citizens affected on the others.

The first idea was questioning our involvement on environment and people as an individual but on a global scale.

Who made the clothes we are wearing? What happens when we continue buying from a specific brand? More generally, it was about our consumption and its effects on Earth.

The globalization and being tied up to various people, the effects of the individual become very indirect and impossible to follow.

The first idea of the art project was to bring it to the spectator and create a confrontation with a display of mirrors reflecting the media images on the face of the specatator.

Meanwhile, the spectator was given options to select what to see; yet the images would be equally consequen - tial. In order to see the visuals, the spectator was supposed to make a choice; also taking the responsibility of the reality of each visual.

The problem with the art project was firstly, the idea was demanding and putting the spectator responsible without giving her / him a say. We wanted to get away from the didactic tone.

Secondly, the images we were going to use were going to be found images, and each would have its own copy-right issues to be displayed on an exhibition.

Thirdly, using found footage images was something we wanted to avoid as we are Film and VCD students who can create their own visuals.

Lastly, eventhough each individual has a responsibility globally, we were very far from the point where we wanted reach.

Finally, we thought we can find “Öte Beri” with a similar concept and by not getting away from our geogra-phy.

Istanbul is under an urban transformation and eventhough we are very aware of it, we cannot follow the fast transition.

Some buildings in the city has been demolished, some has been gone under restoration and been opened to the public with different functions. Are their functions kept in the memory? Are they documented? What are they evolving into?

Some spaces of the city are given a different shape for the constructions to function. Some roads have been closed and different alternative routes have been given.

What are the alternatives in the city for the citizens?

These are only some of the questions we came up with while starting the project. At the same time, we are working on different projects concerning the city; which is why it is the best time to share and collabrate the ideas.

As this project is on going documentation of a changing process, we are eager to learn and evolve on the way.

We are starting the video project with 3 to 4 videos and planning to increase the number in order to docu-ment and present the transformation of the city correctly.

The aim is to manipulate the city map of Istanbul by dividing the map into videos and creating geographically similar shape; as how it is done in reality.

The process of creating the video art is very educational both intellectually and by the editing technique.

As we are the students from film department with connection of VCD, it is educational for both of us to learn from eachother.

The process will take time to evolve till the exhibition and hopefully, it may even continue after it or evolve into another project as the subject will continue to evolve without our will.