The 4th International Localized Image Festival 2023
Sabancı University/FASS/VAVCD Program, students, alumni and faculty member participated in The 4th International Localized Image Festival 2023, Shenyang, China.
27th September - 31st October 2023.
A total of 30 invited academic institutions participated in the University Photography and Video Exhibition titled, “Encounter and Infinite.” In the 4th International Localized Image Festival 2023, more than 200 participants (faculty members, Students and Alumni) shared their artistic works in this year’s festival.
Display link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DJdaSPSvQ6J8Qpr9ouTmnxcBIBw6aim7?usp=sharing
Organized and facilitated by Shenyang City University.
https://www.shenyangcu.edu.cn/
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4jWmfOqiAxGJvD3IHAIc3w
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JogVLLQAsqzQDkBOlYLVgg
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vZja4qbGXnBMU0qWuNyt2A
https://www.yunshengjing.com/h5/index.html?id=174031&isApp=0
Selected Video works from Sabancı University/FASS/VAVCD Program:
A Reverse of Time by Alex Wong
Telli Duvaklı by Nagihan Aydınlık
Wanted, Happened by Zeynep Brafalı
Taking A Breath by Doğa Batılı
Rock Scissors Dream by Ezgi Temür
Question for your Question by Burçak Kaymaz
Untitled by Ilgın Harput
Raining Inside by Abad Shams
Selected Photography works from Sabancı University/FASS/VAVCD Program:
Plastic World
Belmin Pilevneli is a visual artist who delves into a range of themes such as diversity, the notion of "belonging," the natural world, and the concept of new cycles of life. One of the notable aspects of Pilevneli's paintings is the integration of text and poetry, with the artist often penning her verses. These textual elements coexist alongside her visual compositions, enriching the overall significance and narrative of her pieces. Pilevneli frequently incorporates patterns, forms, and colours from various cultures, as well as organic shapes inspired by nature. By doing so, she aims to emphasize her vision of an ideal world, one characterized by unity among diverse societies and profound respect for nature and its resources.
In her series of digital collages “Plastic World”, Pilevneli merges different cultural patterns, shapes, and colours with photography to expose both cultural segregation and unsustainable human practices, particularly excessive plastic usage. This fusion of cultural aesthetics is typically depicted in abstract or semi-abstract forms, showcasing the artist's unique artistic vision.
Belmin Pilevneli was born in 1990, in Istanbul, currently based in London. She graduated from the UAL, London College of Communications MA in Illustration and Visual Media in 2016. She obtained her BA from Sabancı University (VAVCD) in 2014. Pilevneli is a visual artist and designer whose work has been featured in various places and publications. Pilevneli's artwork has gained recognition on an international scale, as her pieces have been showcased at prominent venues, fairs, and exhibitions. These include the Hybrid Art Fair in Madrid, Paper Ink Print Festival, OXO Tower, UCLH, Espazio Gallery, Gallery Marquess in London, Pilevneli Gallery, Contemporary Istanbul, Galeri Miz, PG Art Gallery, Soho House in Istanbul. She has been represented by organizations like Made in Arts London, Galeri Miz, Artnivo and Rise Art. Her work has also been featured in esteemed publications such as Grazia, Harper’s Bazaar, Time Out, Art Maze Mag, CNN Türk, and Istanbul Art News. Since 2017, Pilevneli has held four solo exhibitions, with her most recent solo show, titled "From Cybele's Eye," taking place in 2022 at Galeri Fe in Istanbul. Pilevneli’s solo shows include “Are You In Love” at Galeri Miz in Istanbul and “Love Me, Love Me” at Shipton Street Gallery in 2017. Her work is held in many private and public collections like the Mudo Collection, Emaar Hotels, and Stay Hotels. This year, she is set to exhibit her work at the Douro Print Biennial and Art On Paper New York.
I Stand Alone
“I Stand Alone” is an introspective photography series, that delves into the melancholic journey burdened by the weight of memory accumulation. In each evocative photograph, a solitary figure emerges amidst a vast expanse, encapsulating the profound solitude of carrying life's cumulative layers.
As viewers wander alongside these lone souls, a sense of longing and isolation pervades, reflecting the profound stories etched in each frame – stories of joy, pain, and the bittersweet memories that define us.
The act of carrying this re-collection becomes a poignant journey of self-isolation in the crowds, revealing the haunting beauty of our narratives. Within this enigmatic portrayal, a multidimensional singularity game unfolds, where each subject is grappling with the ever-gathering fragments of existence.
“I Stand Alone” whispers a symphony of melancholy echoes, and the eternal quest for belonging in a world of perpetual accumulation.
Canan Erbil studied in Sabancı University (MA) VAVCD program, and Uludag University (BA). She is now an Independent photographer and installation artist. She was granted an artist residency at Le Couvent d’Auzits (2014). Her group exhibitions include Hysteria #1 (The Stone in the Well, HUB Art Space by Cer Modern, 2015); Tell it to the Water (Persona Non-Grata, Ankara Anafartalar Market Place, 2017); Periphery Apartment Project (Istanbul, 2018); All Alone (Fermantasyon, Karşı Sanat, 2019); Wave (F: Photocopy Project, Hayy Open Space, Torun Art Space, Kıraathane 24, 2019); Hysteria #2 (Dali International Photography Festival, 2019); Safe Space (Photography in Days of Pandemic, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, 2020), Reminiscence (Past, Present, İstanbul, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, 2021)
Archaic Units
Counting rods have a history dating back to ancient East Asia and were used by mathematicians for decimal calculations. Having their numeral system, they are initially used by variants of their positions to represent digits of a number and if it is an integer or a rational number. While it was used in relatively complex calculations in pre-imperial China, in present Turkey, counting rods are used as a tool for mathematical calculations but detached from its history and true potential.
In the first grade of primary school in Turkey, counting rods are solely used for basic calculations and learning how to count as each bar represents 1. It is not inconvenient to assume that these plastic bars are imported from China to Turkey, detached from the knowledge of the rod numeral system that comes with the objects. As these colourful plastic objects are one of the few tools that were handed to children to help them understand adulthood, the lack of in-depth education and knowledge also leads to a poor understanding of life in Turkey. As a person who grew up in the Turkish education system and learned nothing about the rod numeral system before, I tend to create my visual system for understanding the life around me by using counting rods as representatives of themselves, the objects isolated from their archaic history and I make them my archaic units.
Neslihan Koyuncu obtained her BA and MA study in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design program at Sabancı University, Istanbul. The artist, who works on subjecting structural and personal metaphors to deconstruction, uses different media in her works, including photography, video, and readymade objects. Her work primarily focuses on revealing a hidden rhythm within a standard system, triggered by an object, an image, a memory or a word. She did her master's thesis on biographies of domestic objects concerning the home and the human being. She has previously done collaborative work with UZ and Dadans. She has participated in several exhibitions, including HABITAT, Istanbul Modern Museum, Letter from Istanbul, Pi Artworks London, and Dream Log at Bilsart. She presently works as a project coordinator at 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory at the Hrant Dink Foundation.
Seyir
The essence of my artistic practice revolves around the concept of “Seyir,” a multifaceted Turkish word that encompasses the notions of embarking on a journey, observing, and indulging in daydreams. Through my work, I embark on a creative exploration that traverses the vast landscape of the History of Digital Culture, delving into new dimensions of photographic expression and digital image production. Within this series, my photographs navigate along a path that embraces both the utilization of various technological tools and the quest to redefine the boundaries software developers impose. By pushing the limits of available technology, I seek to reshape and restructure its rules, unveiling unexplored possibilities for visual creation. “Seyir” is an endeavour to capture the essence of a specific city's landscape in Turkey through a unique lens.
Murat Durusoy has B.A in Manufacturing Systems Engineering degree from Sabancı University. He also holds an M.A. degree in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design from the same university. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate at Bahçeşehir University in Cinema and Media Studies. His research interest revolves around Photography, In-Game Photography, Game Studies, and Media Art Studies. He exhibited extensively in Turkey and Europe.
Contact
''Where are we to put the limit between body and world, since the world is flesh?'' Maurice Merleau-Ponty Skin is where the body and the world meet and touch each other. We think of skin as a border, but skin is a continuum. Skin is the constant contact and dialogue between the inside and outside. Through our skin, the world can touch us. Skin is double-sided in all aspects. It gives us pleasure, also pain. It stands there always, reminding us of our fragility and mortality. Throughout this series, I am constantly in search of skin; my own, that of others, and that of things. Skin, however, is always elusive. One cannot capture skin; it is always in flux. We can only feel our skin when we are in contact with reality and its objects. Objects live and touch us back. Our touch leaves an imprint on objects, and the objects retain a history
Ezgi Temur was born in 1993 in Kutahya, Turkey. She completed her undergraduate studies in the Sculpture Department at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. Currently, she is doing her MA in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design at Sabancı University working with photography/videography and 3D animation. She also works in the fields of illustration, painting, and performing arts.
Kürleme
The series of kürleme is a photography series centring on the fiction-real family story theme the artist uses in her works. h. ışık combined found photographs dating back to 1914 around the world and from her family archive around a story. She constructed a consciousness that remembers and tells this story by returning to those moments through these photographs. Although the storyteller tries to establish unity with her story, there are inconsistencies regarding people, time, and places. The environment and tone of each scene are so different because these jumps do not make sense in the story. The choice of watercolour style points to this unreliability of memory and questions the act of remembering. On the other hand, it tries to reveal one's potential to reconstruct one's own story in this ambiguous area of remembering and memory. In this series, the consciousness is queer, trying to find its place in the family story while simultaneously deconstructing, rewriting, lying about, or rejecting it.
Hilal Işık studied sociology and film studies at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, and now pursuing a master's degree in visual arts and visual communication design at Sabancı University. The artist produces works in various mediums, such as documentary, video, 3D, and photography. Hilal Işık focuses on family relations, memory studies, and social issues in her works. The artist continues her artistic production in Istanbul, Turkey.