KIS: Robinienhof
Interview: Gamze Can. Published on 16. SEP 2024.
Hello KIS, it’s great to have you as part of GOLDSTÜCKE! I’m really looking forward to experiencing your installation “Dreaming Streams” at the Robinienhof. Before we dive in, I’d love to hear more about your ideas and the process behind your work. Could you answer a few questions for me?
— Are you familiar with Gelsenkirchen and the GOLDSTÜCKE? What motivated you to apply for the Open Call?
SOOBEEN: I wasn’t very familiar with Gelsenkirchen before deciding to participate in this festival. However, I decided to apply for the Open Call because the theme of the Open Call, ‘Diplopia’ is closely related to the overarching theme of my previous work. I have always dealt with the concept of ‘gaze’ as a major theme in my practice, and I have consistently proposed new ways of offering a fresh perspective that challenges preconceived notions about a particular subject. In this sense, I felt there was an extended connection, and the theme intrigued me, making me want to take part.
— How would you describe your artistic practice?
ILONA: I often work in collectives, creating site-specific installations with light and shadow. Our last project is a real-time analog projection of salt-crystallization we did with Karoline Ketelhake in Djerba, Tunisia.
SOOBEEN: My artistic practice began with a deep exploration of the theme of gaze through non-human subjects. I have primarily focused on the contradictions that arise from narrow and distorted perspectives, and the interesting insights that emerge from them. Through this, I aim to transcend anthropocentric views, expanding perspectives and exploring subjects in new ways.
— What aspects were particularly important to you during the creation of your artwork?
We reached out to the local community in Gelsenkirchen, inviting them to contribute to our project with photos and videos they had created.
— What core idea inspired your current work, and what message do you want to convey?
Our current work is based on phenomena such as ‘filter bubbles’ and ‘echo chambers.’ Most of us use social media, and sometimes we use it to understand our own tastes or even adapt them with new preferences. However, it can also control our preferences, isolate us within a fixed perspective, and block us from being exposed to new viewpoints. As algorithms guide us toward content that aligns with our preferences, we believe it’s important not just to accept what fits, but to look beyond and be open to different perspectives. We should be able to think critically, comparing right and wrong for ourselves. Through this work, we wanted to convey the importance of developing an independent way of thinking and seeing, without relying solely on digital technology. We also aimed to highlight how digital technologies, represented by ‘algorithms,’ can control us in reverse.
— What is your stance on social media?
KUI: Growing up with the internet, social media is part of my daily life, even though I have noticed that I am too immersed into it, but it is tough to get rid of it from my life.
SOOBEEN: It’s clear that social media is an inseparable part of our lives, but we cannot ignore its negative aspects. Like two sides of a coin, there are both positives and negatives, and we shouldn’t focus on just one perspective. However, it’s important to consider its influence. By not overly relying on or excessively using it, we can maintain a healthy distance and benefit from its positive functions. What’s most important here is the ability to think for oneself and to truly know oneself before external forces define us.
— If you could develop a social media platform, what would you do differently?
KUI: I would like to have a platform that has news-feeds with total randomness and no algorithm to filter the content.
ILONA: I would develop a decentralized and decentralized system that does not capitalize on its user’s attention. For ethical reasons I would eliminate the highly addictive, habit developing features of current, for-profit social media platforms while finding a way to keep the platform fun to engage with. This ideal platform would encourage its people to meet in real-life and interact with each other in a more nuanced and substantial way, possibly at a slower, less fragmented pace than current mainstream social media platforms do.
— Do you have a favorite artwork from this year’s GOLDSTÜCKE program?
We are curious about all the works from the Open Call, especially how the same theme has been interpreted and explored from various perspectives. However, if we had to choose just one, we are most looking forward to ‘DEBRI.’ We’ve always been interested in space debris, and Soobeen has even worked on a project related to that topic. In that sense, we think we’ll find this work even more intriguing. Comparing and analyzing works on the same theme is always an enjoyable process.