Associação Cultural Videobrasil

A particular brand of violence is the underlying theme in Ethem Özgüven's works, something peculiar to this part of the world. Violence in this sense is neither the unprovoked assault of the schizophrenic, alienated being, nor solely the terror by a highly organised apparatus of power, but it is something transparent, consensual and motivated almost with “the very best of intentions”. The divided psyche in between tradition and change is prone to turn to the ordinary fascism of the everyday life and governing, in the name of the family, the nation, religion, progress, development, modernity, recognition, and ultimately, profit. In some cases, whatever is initiated for the benefit of the majority in terms of jobs and opportunities (gold mining_”The people of the light's long walk”) eventually turns against their very livelihood, against the Earth and the life, defying law, court orders and massive protests of the inhabitants. In other instances, the “traditional” means of settling the matters of the family (violence against women_”F”) clash with the long sought after westernisation and become doubly murderous. Yet in other terms, the most “ecologically friendly” industry (global tourism_”Little lake”) is set to reign free and unchecked to a degree to lead to the extreme barbarisms of the tourist and the locals, pillaging of the land and the sea. More, the integrated complex of advertising, corporate media, and sports (football) as the spectacle of the lynching mob, are packaged and manipulated together to turn everyone into an accomplice in this transparent violence (“Delirium”).

There had been more to this country's documented atrocities in the past: military coups and their bloody aftermath, detentions, torture and executions, burnt villages in the Southeast, forced migrations and “unsolved” assassinations as the manifest violence inflicted in the name of the nation. Moreover, Mafioso organisations and massive corruption indicated a violent robbery of the wealth of the people. And all this under the auspices of some “authority”, but more importantly, and sadly, most with a nodding “yes” from tranquillised masses of ordinary fascism.

In his works, Ethem Özgüven is very much aware that the violence is widespread and the perpetrators are often so diffused, almost to include “all of us” as the consenting accomplices in the crime. Nevertheless, with an ethical point of view and without resorting to manifest “moralism”, he deconstructs the power mechanisms behind evil by using well known genres of manipulating public opinion, namely the fast paced montage of advertising and the “neutral” discourse of the documentary, sometimes to mock their “reliability”. His social advertising “spots” are a direct response and a critique of the profession (of advertising) that has been mostly hallowed out, but sprinkled with the discourses of “creativity”.

Ultimately, all boils down to the stand, the bearing that the artist/intellectual cannot (or, should not) avoid in this part of the world against a violent existence, under the given disposition of power and capital in a globalised world. In other words, to lead a life to wake somebody up: look what we have done to other peoples, to Earth and our towns, our history, to the birds and the fishes and to our very lives that became so dull and impoverished when we become the silent accomplices in this invisible crime committed in our name…

What was the main reason that got you into video production?

Video is one of the tools that I have been using. Writing is other tool I like to use. I studied film and video. Video was affordable comparing to film.

Your videos often feature large amounts of text and graphics superimposed onto image. How is your creative process like? What was the initial idea for videos such as “f/f” (2004)? Was it data about violence, or was it the image of the dancer? How do you build up these references linking text and image?

It all depends on the project: in “F” first I decided to do something with the dancer. Later I changed the venue and dress. The text became more than a text, something visual as the dancer and all the other factors on the screen. You have also developed documentary films such as “The people of lights long walk” (2000). What are the differences between the creative process for experimental videos and documentary films?

The simplest answer to this question would be that both forms are fictions (experimental and documentary). They have comparable ways; there is no mentionable difference for me in the creative process.

I have a lot to say about documentary; one thing is that its production is too painful; perhaps that is why I choose experimental video or film more often.

In much of your work, written text on the screen is vital for the understanding of the piece. Some examples are “Erol Akyavas” (2000), “Little lake” (2002), and “GURE aegean” (2004), which features a poem by Ilhan Berk. What is the relationship among written text on the screen, poetry, and the narratives in your videos? Is poetry a natural consequence of the appropriation of written text on the screen?

For me being understood is not the main issue. Text becomes a support means for my esthetic expressions. Text becomes a graphical image more than its meaning as a text. My films are my expression of poetry. 5. What was it like to promote the International Video Production Workshops that you have developed along with Petra Holzer and Walter Pucher? The importance of the workshops was the creation of solidarity among young people from different cultures in the process of creating videos. After ten years we found it was time to change the form and we do now such events much smaller and more concentrated locally. In ten years over 200 students from more than 20 countries were able to get a grant to participate in our workshops (the funding was organized by ourselves).

Your work usually features strong political overtones, even when dealing with subjective and personal issues. Some examples are “AMN (All my nightmares)” (2001), “GURE aegean” (2004), among others. How do you view the relationship between art and politics?

Art is my form of opposition. Art is a tool of retreat. Art helps me to leave the battlefield without turning my back and running as fast and as far as I can.

What is the current art scene like in Turkey, especially in Istanbul?

The art scene of Istanbul is explained very detailed in “Delirium”. Let me use the text of my “Nightmare” installation:

we live in a decade where everything can be edited as part of something / anything and giving meaning (!) to the same whole. these parts are cited without any relevance to aesthetics and/or ethical principles, theories.

for all fields which determine lives, being a determining factor for one of these fictions mean hegemony. fiction determined by hegemony is accepted without preconditions. we live in a decade where politeness has become extinct. politeness does not exist any more. nothing is questioned, speed builds up, parts are getting smaller and/or shorter, the importance, uniqueness and the position of smaller parts lose meaning. a vision, a note, a decrease in meaning as a sentence alone or as part of a whole; they could be extracted and be placed elsewhere easily…

in a condition where colours, visions, voices and states change so rapidly and free of responsibility, where they transform and grow, where hegemonic powers and technology intervene with the local powers so harshly, often, and apparently, we cannot trust any opinion of the masses who consume art work. just as we cannot trust those who produce art work (!). naturally the art work may not be trusted, either.

in short, we cannot put faith in the producer, in the consumer or in the product.

Makes short films, documentaries, installations, and experimental video since the eighties, having been featured and awarded in several festivals and exhibitions. As a teacher, Özgüven has taught at the Academy Istanbul, the Beykent University, and the Marmara University. Presently, he teaches at the Istanbul Bilgi University.

From 1990 until 2002, along with Petra Holzer and Walter Pucher, Özgüven promoted a series of International Video Production Workshops aimed at fostering video production among young people. Over 200 youths from more than 20 countries participated in the workshops. These participants would later become multipliers who could use the knowledge that they had acquired in their native countries. The workshops, as well as Özgüven's work, were structured around video production, but featured strong political and social overtones.

From 1995 until 1996, Ethem directed the International Documentaries and Short Films Festival, in Antalya. From 1997 until 1999, he also directed the The Environmental Scenario and Production Awards.

His art work has been featured in festivals such as the Ebensee International Film Festival (Austria, 1991), the International Interforum Festival (Nuremberg, 1997), and the Ifsak Film Festival (Istanbul, 1993, 1994 and 1996), among others.

Özgüven's work was featured in retrospective exhibitions and festivals such as the Kologne Film Festival (Germany, 1993), the Akunst Film Woche (Austria, 1994), the Interforum Film Festival (Germany, 1995), the Mediawave International Film Festival (Hungary, 1996), the Ankara International Film Festival (Turkey, 2000), the Kecksemet International Film Festival (Hungary, 2000), and the Istanbul International Film Days (2003), among others.

Some websites that approach the work of Ethem Özgüven, and the Turkish art scene:

The website of independent “La Insignia” magazine features some work by Turkish poet Ilhan Berk, in Spanish. http://www.lainsignia.org/2000/noviembre/cul_023.htm

“Xurban” is an on-line collective dedicated to art and politics. They create video, text, action, and performance with strong political overtones. One of their members is Güven Incirlioglu, who wrote the essay on the work of Ethem Özgüven.

http://www.xurban.net/

A “Xurban” collective piece entitled S.I.E.G.C.R.A.F.T. was featured in the “Call me ISTANBUL ist mein Name” exhibition, which was promoted by ZKM as part of the European Cultural Festival (2004). The exhibition website features details, texts, and pictures of the piece.

http://hosting.zkm.de/istanbul/e/ausstellung

The 8th International Istanbul Biennale took place in 2003, curated by Dan Cameron. The “Universes in Universe” website contains information, articles, artist lists, and art work, in addition to texts by the curator and critic reviews of the Biennale's three past editions.

http://universes-in-universe.de/car/istanbul/english.htm