From Words to Moving Image

In Conversation with Ahmet Rüstem Ekici and Hakan Sorar

Date: Friday, December 26, 2025
Time: 18.00
Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium
Speakers: Ahmet Rüstem Ekici and Hakan Sorar
Moderator: Ümit Mesci

Participating in this year’s edition of Artists’ Film International upon Istanbul Modern’s invitation, artist duo Ahmet Rüstem Ekici and Hakan Sorar come together in a conversation with Istanbul Modern curator Ümit Mesci. Artists’ Film International – a program featuring video works, animations, and short films from different geographies – provides a framework for the discussion, which examines the impact of technological developments on video production while inviting reflection on the multifaceted roles artists assume within this shifting landscape. Focusing on digital tools in film production, the event is shaped by the artists’ perspectives, which integrate these tools through innovative approaches.

Within this context, Ekici and Sorar discuss their work “The Pond” (2023), presented to audiences across the world as part of Artists’ Film International, alongside their other projects. Offering insights on the present and near future of an ever transforming digital visual culture, the conversation opens a discussion on how the rapidly evolving ecosystem of artificial intelligence tools both expands and constrains creative processes. The transformation of content production – driven by the widespread accessibility of moving-image technologies – also emerges as a key topic.

About Ahmet Rüstem Ekici and Hakan Sorar:

Artists Ahmet Rüstem Ekici and Hakan Sorar combine their training in interior architecture and engineering with art and technology. Working on themes of the body, architecture, and optical perception, the duo interprets the narratives carried by archaeological findings through digital visualization techniques. In their collaborative practice, they examine the relationships between space and the body in depth, questioning the boundaries between digital and physical realms, and seek to offer audiences a conceptually and intellectually rich framework shaped by the possibilities of technological innovation.

The event is free of charge.
The talk is held in Turkish.
Attendance is limited due to seating capacity.