Technology meets art at Zorlu PSM, Ars Electronica exhibition opens: The heart of digital art is in Istanbul

As a well-established organization in the field of technological arts, the Ars Electronica platform brings together the audience with advanced and often socially responsible works of digital art.

The "Data & Fragility" exhibition at Zorlu PSM is a prime example of this. Created in collaboration with Piksel.Creative Solutions, the exhibition features largely unprecedented work. Alongside international artists, the exhibition also features young Turkish talents such as Özcan Ertek, İmelda Kuyumcu & Gözde Betülay Yorulmaz, and Ceren Su Çelik.

Among the works that rely on audience interaction, the most intriguing is Ertek's "Turkish Coffee Fortune Telling with Artificial Intelligence." This performance combines the practice of fortune-telling with AI technology, interpreting the global discourse on AI through a local and cultural context. You can have your Turkish coffee interpreted either by Ertek or, by placing your cup under the camera, by the AI.

Marc Vilanova's "Cascade" transforms the electromagnetic waves surrounding us into a sound and light performance reminiscent of a waterfall. The frequency of the sounds created by waterfalls, inaudible to humans under normal circumstances, was once instrumental in helping birds determine their migration routes. However, today, birds face difficulties due to noise pollution from cities, airplanes, and other sources. According to Vilanova, the work addresses global anxiety by making invisible technological threats and the instability in our environment visible.

The festival, which showcases cutting-edge examples of digital art, will continue until October 28. Meanwhile, rising electronic music stars Two Lanes will perform a concert on October 25.

The Ars Electronica exhibition is free for students, and general sale tickets are 750 TL.

'MULTI-LAYERED EXPERIENCE'

Speaking at the launch, Zorlu PSM General Manager Filiz Ova said, “We've created an organic dialogue by bringing together this festival, the heart of digital arts with its nearly 50-year history, with Istanbul's unique digital art DNA. From October 21st to 28th, we invite our guests to a multilayered experience ranging from artificial intelligence and interactive installations to kinetic sculptures and sound performances.”