link to the video (extract)

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The video as research on the question What is Contemporary?

Motivation/statement: While I was on the residency program of Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center I felt very much ‘contemporary’. I wondered whether this could be understood as a kind of commune, or as mutual feelings between people? There was a street artist singing all day long making everybody nervous. If provocation is often part of ‘contemporary strategies’, is he ‘contemporary’ or are we? But we didn’t trouble him because ‘contemporary’ means democratic spirit. And, even if this video is not democratic, while one person spoke for only a few seconds another spoke for half the video, I discovered that 14 minutes is not enough to even start discussion.

The target group among the research What is Contemporary? happened were artists/curators from Turkey and abroad that were in September-October 2006. present around Platform Garanti in Istanbul. Video itself represents the caching of contemporary moment. Appearing: Ahmet Ogut, Anton Vidokle, Oyku Ozsoy, Josuander Pol, Liesbeth Bik, Ozge Acikkol, Runo Lagomarsino, Secil Yersel, Mark Aerial Waller, Nikusha, Huseyin Alptekin, Bernardo Giorgi, Fatos Ustek, Tunc Ali Cam, Isidora Ficovic, Banu Cennetoglu, Martha Rosler, Michael Isling, Christian Millesoe, Philipphine Hoegen, Erinc Seymen, Borga Kanturk, Kristina Ask, Selda Asal and Vasif Kortun. Every of interviewed person didn’t know what would be the question in advance and they didn’t have time to prepare the answer. Their answering is intuitive, spontaneous reaction and thinking, which is part of contemporary moment itself.

Production by Backyard Residency of Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul ’06.