UZA(n-m)
Interactive A/V Installation
2024
UZA(n-m) is an interactive audio-visual installation that combines sound, movement and visuality and is constantly evolving through the contributions of the participants. The audience is not only an observer but also an active part of the work. The work explores the process by which individual sounds and movements are transformed into a collective memory and makes this transformation an experience.
A visual field of particles projected onto the wall invites viewers to present their sounds and/or movements. As participants produce sound, it is recorded into the memory of the work and undergoes visual transformations that reflect the change in that memory. When participants physically reach toward the work, their movement triggers a reshaping of the recorded sounds. The particles come together to form the silhouette of the participant, representing their interaction with the memory.
KOR
Immersive A/V Installation
2023
Throughout history, volcanoes, to which people have dedicated divine ideas, not only cause destruction with their eruptions, but also fertilise the soil with the minerals they bring from the centre of the Earth. Despite the risk of their destructive power, people have continued to build their civilisations around volcanoes because of the fertility they bring to the land. They built their structures with concrete reinforced with volcanic ash. Volcanoes, with their cycles that bring together the two extremes, are positioned as one of the most magnificent elements of the world.
“KOR" is an audiovisual installation that examines the volcanoes that the characters in Jules Verne's "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" descend to, ascend from or pass under, both in terms of eruption and anthropology. The work, which shows the movement of these volcanoes in a concrete structure, explores the relationship of volcanoes to the earth, the sky, the water and civilisation.
Methodology: The 3D models of the volcanoes whose eruption patterns are analysed were obtained from STRM data provided as open source by NASA.
TIKA-basa
Reactive A/V Installation
2024
TIKA-basa aims to make visible the violations of both physical and social space. It does so by presenting two representations of physical and digital space.
While the video loop projected on the wall plays continuously, five bags, large enough to cover the space, lie on the floor and down, covering the entire floor. Activated by the presence of the viewer entering the space, the installation forces the viewer to be both perpetrator and victim of oppression. As soon as the viewer enters the space, the bags begin to inflate with the help of a pump, filling the entire space.
This process violates not only a physical space, but also the projected visual space and the auditory atmosphere. The bag restricts the movement of the viewer, while the sound of the pump covers the video and other sounds in the space. The cycle of repression and expulsion reenacts the individual's struggle to protect his or her space.
Noise and Dirt
A Sound Intervention Around Cengiz Çekil’s Practice
2023
The conceptual framework of the performance, which emerged as a result of a meticulous research process that delves into Cengiz Çekil’s life and artistic practice, is inspired by Çekil’s ironic statement on the dominant aesthetics of “Arte Povera” in Turkey in the period following the 1980 military coup d'état. Çekil’s idea on how art can exist in this ideological contamination, as well as Jacques Attali’s ideas on noise and order in his article “Noise and Politics” (1977), form the main structure of the performance. Dirt and sterility, cycle and rebirth are also topics that were considered during the production process.
In addition to providing the essential origin of the performance as a sound and a subject, Cengiz Çekil’s Deaf Scream (1995) also plays a decisive role in determining the duration of Memişoğlulları’s performance. The performance began when Deaf Scream, which produces sound for 1 minute at intervals of approximately 25 minutes, goes silent and will end when its tune restarts. Memişoğulları has used the graphic notation method as a form of composition during the preparation process. After translating the physical forms of the works into notations, the artist will manipulate these sounds to intertwine visual and auditory references, thus redefining both mediums.
KIVIL
A/V Installation
2024
"KIVIL" is a work that questions the invisible bonds that limit us throughout our lives as one of the greatest obstacles to discovering one's own potential, and invites the process of overcoming these obstacles.
Failures, unfulfilled expectations, economic pressures and chains of uncertainty about the future are invisible shackles that prevent individuals from moving and imprison them; however, in order to move beyond these shackles, individuals must realize their own power and face these realities.
From Scratch
Interactive Installation
2024
“From Scratch” is an interactive installation that travels through the intersections of history, technology and urban memory. It invites participants to be part of a performative act in which the aqueduct becomes both a tool of awareness and a nexus of collective conscience. As viewers move through the space of the work, their every movement creates narratives that leave traces in the work.
Focusing on the Aqueduct of Valens, one of the most important remains of Istanbul's water heritage, this work goes beyond mere physicality and creates a multi-layered dialogue between the past and the present, between the audience and the work. Through the delicate use of computer vision technologies, the work oscillates between presence and abstraction, aiming to unravel the urban memory of Istanbul.
SOLUK
A/V Installation
2023
“SOLUK” is a formal representation inspired by Spinoza’s concept of “Conatus”. It narrates the effort to survive, in accordance with necessary causality, based on two coexisting realities: the digital and the physical, both of which are sustained by the act of breath. This dilemma stands as one of the significant challenges of contemporary humans. “Breath” delves into potential manifestations the act of breathing might assume. Moreover, it alludes to the pandemic era, during which we struggle to survive by the most primal instinct, and it unveils the transformation etched into the fabric of our lives during that period.
Looking Through Sound
A/V Performance
2022
"Looking Through Sound" is a multi-disciplinary performance that seamlessly integrates live piano music, real-time audio analysis, and custom visual software. Pianist Jerfi Aji performs a repertoire of works by renowned composers such as Alexander Scriabin, Claude Debussy, and Enrique Granados, while Can Memişoğulları's custom software analyzes the real-time audio input and generates visual responses that are projected onto a large screen behind the pianist.
The custom software uses a variety of algorithms and techniques, including real-time motion graphics, particle systems, and color grading, to create the visual effects that respond to different parameters of Aji's piano performance such as pitch, amplitude, and rhythm. Memişoğulları's ability to fine-tune the visual effects in real-time during the performance with the user interface further enhances the audience experience.
Programme Note:
I have always been interested in creating a story set in a 3D world that can be explored, and "Looking Through Sound" was the perfect project to bring this concept to life. I would like to briefly explain the details of the project and how I built the visuals, without losing the enjoyment of discovery for you.
In order to build the visuals for this project, I analyzed the compositions and created maps of both the musical and non-musical elements, including influences from the geography, artworks, and stories told by the composer. In the end, the places, objects, and events in this world are either extracted from the music or will be extracted during the performance.
Traces of Memory
Immersive and Interactive A/V Installation
2020
"Traces of Memory" is an immersive audio-visual installation that explores the concept of communication through space. The piece invites participants to present aural ideas in the installation's environment and listens to and observes these ideas as they are presented. These ideas can be linguistic, musical, or noise-based, and the piece is designed to select and categorize the sounds based on their timbral properties.
As the installation listens and observes the room, it activates the recorded sounds based on their categories and the location of the participants. The "brain" of the installation is projected onto a wall in the room, and groups of particles represent the recorded sounds. These particles move to the locations where the sounds were made and change in response to the sounds' amplitudes, creating an abstract model of the room. When someone moves around the room, the particle groups disperse according to the sounds that are remembered or created and return to their original positions when the interaction is over.
"Traces of Memory" invites participants to consider the role of space in communication and the way that ideas can be deformed and forgotten over time. The piece encourages the audience to think about the nature of memory and how it can be influenced by our surroundings and creates a dynamic and immersive experience that invites the audience to explore and interact with the installation in their own way.
De-De-Construction of the Constructer
Immersive and Interactive A/V Installation
2020
"De-de-construction of the Constructer" is an interactive piece that invites the audience to engage with an abstract structure in a humorous and playful way. When the participant first encounters the work, they are presented with a screen showing a series of lines that make smooth and small movements. As the participant moves, the lines begin to build something, and when they stop moving, the structure begins to return to its former state.
The goal of the piece is to create a connection between the participant and the subject on the screen, which is a constructor. To achieve this, the work encourages the participant to engage in some "labor" by moving and interacting with the structure. The audio and video are processed in real-time, so the experience of each participant will differ. Ultimately, "De-de-construction of the Constructer" invites the audience to think about the relationship between the participant and the subject, and to consider the role of labor and interaction in this dynamic. The work creates a humorous and engaging experience that invites the audience to consider the ways in which we interact with and shape the world around us.
STUCK
A/V Interactive Live Performance
2021
Can Memişoğulları's performance at ALT_SPACE, called "Stuck," is an interactive audio-visual experience that invites audience participation. The performance is divided into several scenes that take place in a shared 3D space, but each scene has its own distinct aesthetic and set of rules. The artist plays a role in guiding the flow of the performance, but the audience also has the opportunity to shape the experience through their interactions.
One of the main goals of the performance is to explore the relationship between observer and performer, and how audience interaction can influence perception and create a sense of immersion. The artist was interested in the potential for online performances to provide a sense of connection and engagement, even when physical interaction is not possible.
In creating the performance, the artist considered the backgrounds and experiences of the participants and designed a framework that would allow for real-time interaction and feedback. This involved creating visual and aural instruments that could represent the input from the audience, and designing the interactions in a way that was intuitive and easy to understand. The artist also wanted to explore the potential for online platforms to provide immersive experiences that could rival those of a real-world concert. Overall, the performance aimed to provide a unique and interactive experience for the audience and to raise questions about the role of interaction in art and the connection between the artist and the audience.
The HAND
A/V Interactive Installation
2021
"The Hand" is an interactive audio-visual installation that invites the audience to engage with the work through the use of intuitive hand gestures. The piece consists of a sculpture of a hand that is able to record and respond to these gestures, using them to enhance its communication skills and create connections with past encounters. As the audience interacts with the sculpture by making gestures, it will deform, reform, and move in response, creating a dynamic and ever-changing experience.
The installation is designed to be immersive and engaging for the audience, inviting them to explore and play with the hand sculpture in a way that is natural and intuitive. The work encourages the audience to think about the role of gestures in communication and connection, and how technology can be used to facilitate this process. The sculpture's ability to respond to and adapt to the gestures of the audience creates a sense of interaction and engagement, and invites the audience to participate in the creation of the piece.
Overall, "The Hand" is a thought-provoking and engaging piece that invites the audience to explore the connections between technology, human interaction, and communication. The work invites the audience to participate in a unique and dynamic experience, and encourages them to consider the role of gestures and technology in creating meaningful connections.
To interact with the piece, the audience can stand in front of the screen and use one hand to make gestures, which will be detected by the installation. The sculpture of the hand will change shape and location depending on the position and movements of the audience's hand. Green particles will follow the hand and respond to the force of the hand's movement, and the more the audience opens and closes their palm, the more the hand sculpture will deform and the sound parameters will change. Red particles will reflect past gestures that the hand sculpture finds appropriate for the audience, allowing them to connect with the hands of others who have interacted with the piece. The audience is encouraged to have fun and explore the piece in their own way.