Ahmet Rüstem Ekici  

About

Ahmet Rüstem Ekici is a multidisciplinary artist who focuses on the relationships between the body, architecture, and optical perception. In his series on gender and space, he explores how spaces are transformed by experience through the use of digital visualization and the storytelling language of archaeological surfaces and objects. 

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Rüstem's work, which incorporates augmented and virtual reality, has been exhibited at various venues, including the Ars Electronica Concrete House, CADAF Online, XX Art Flaneire, Museari Queer Arts Museum, YARAT Contemporary and Thessaloniki Queer Arts Festival. He also curated the VR experience "Sauna" after creating "Hamam," one of Turkey's pioneering augmented reality exhibitions. Ahmet Rüstem continues to work on projects related to space and archaeology and is currently a brand ambassador for the Artivive AR app and a participant in the "Meta Creators of Tomorrow" program. In 2019, he was selected for the American Arts Incubator Amplify program by the U.S. Educational and Cultural Affairs and ZERO1 and is currently working on digital projects and exploring the potentials of augmented reality. 

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Ahmet Rüstem was born in Adana in 1983 and graduated from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Bilkent University's Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture in 2008. He has also worked as a stage designer for many years and currently teaches "Designing Space for the Camera" and "Illusion in Spaces" at the Faculty of Design and Architecture at MEF University.

Exhibitions:

Ahmet Rüstem mainly works about  gender, equality, reproduction, urban renewal , lgbti rights and identity

2020                                 XX Art Flanerie with ARTIVIVE

2020                                Museari Quuer Arts Museum Online

2020                                CADAF Online selection by ARTIVIVE APP 

2020                              Thessaloniki Queer Arts Festival,Greece

2020                             Bald but Hairy Queer Art  Festival , Ada Sanat 

2020                             Love360 Fest 

2020                             Genetic Codes of Turkish Design Istanbul Airport

2020                             Women in Black - EKAV Art Gallery 

2019                            HAMAM - Galeri Bu Pavilion, Solo  Exhibition

2019                          Allinone01 Art50, GaleriBu Pavillion,  Digital Art

2019                          Mitler ve Rüyalar, Kıraathane Istanbul  Edebiyat Evi,  Installation

2019                          Digigether, UNHCR, Uniq Gallery, Digital Art

2019                          American Arts Incubator 2019 Turkey Group Project ,Experience Design

2019                          Dünya Sanat Günü - İzmir ,Textile Installation

2018                         Mine Sanat Galerisi Bodrum Yalıkavak, Başka Dünya Grup Sergisi  ,Digital Drawing

2018                         Antonina Sanat Galerisi, Hafıza Kürü Sergisi, GYNAECEUM Serisi ,Mixed Media 

2018                         Tasarım TomTom Sokakta IV ,Installation

2018                         Dünya Sanat Günü - İzmir, Digital Drawing

2017                         Art50 & Down Sendromu Türkiye Derneği Hayat Sergisi,Photography

2017                        Tasarim TomTom Sokakta   III,  Digital Drawing

2017                        Tasarim TomTom Sokakta    II ,  Installation

2016                        Uniq Gallery – Together – Workshop,Exhibiton,   Installation

2016                        Bishkek National Art Museum, Kyrgyzstan    –   Too/Cyy, Site Spesific Instalation

2016                        Bring Your Art –Sehir Merkezine Ne Kadar Uzakliktayim?, Installation 

2016                        Tasarim Tomtom Sokakta – Sevil Dolmaci  Art Consultancy, Street Art Installation

2016                        LGBTi  - Nerdeen Nereye - Istanbul Pride Week,  Installation

2015                        Uniq Gallery – Love 360,   Installation

2015                        Artnivo – Reloaded, Site Specific    Installation                                                           

2014                        Nesrin Esirtgen Collection – Open Door/Open Call, Site Spesific Installation

Qualifications & Certifications & Workshops & Lectures

2019     International Association of Art Critiques, Turkey AICA, Membership 

2019     American Arts Incubator ZERO1 New Media Arts

2019     UNHCR , IKGV, Digigether Workshop New Media Arts workshop with HA:AR

2019     Designing Space for the Camera Lecture at MEF and Kadir Has University

2017     Ceramics Classes at Yasemin Ozcan Studio 

2016     3Ds Max Classes at Sinan Korkulu Studio 

2016     USA Consulate General Istanbul,  Together Workshop with Syrian Artists

2015     Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop with Hale Tenger & Aylin Vartanyan

2015     Nomadic Art Camp Kyrgyzstan 

2010     Artificial World and How To Design its Space, Lecture at Karadeniz Technical University 

2008     Adobe Photoshop, 3ds Max, AutoCAD Classes at Sanalogretim 

ARTISTIC AND RESEARCH STATEMENT 

I describe myself as a set designer and visual storyteller. Using 3D modeling softwares gives me limitless possibilities while I am designing the space for the stories I tell. Most of my stories have common roots of gender and social issues and LGBTQAI rights. My works usually have frames and connections of ancient mosaic pavement patterns which symbolises borders to live together in unity. I am fascinated by the optical illusions of floor mosaics and the way they tell stories about their era. 

While I’m creating the space for the virtual camera about the stories I tell, all my angles work like a storyboard. It has a strong connection of the conceptual idea of living in a border and all the story has to be told in a given space where my work becomes like a digital collage. My favourite tools are 3D softwares because they have the power to create spaces without gravity and budget. Using 3D softwares gives my works possibilities of 3D printing, CNC or laser engraving. I also create 3D animations, AutoCAD drawings and photography to visualise my stories. 

My favourite material changes upon to the concept I work about. As an artist with stage and set design experiences I am fascinated by the language of the materials in terms of illusions. 

I was taught to be silent about my existence thus many of my stories have secrets about the society I belong to and the borders I often use are translated  ınto the space I have to fit in. 

Right now I am abstracting the ancient mosaic tiles and using their ways of storytelling about their era. The illusion of their frames,borders and the way they try to act like a 3D surface fascinates me. 

My favourite medium is now Cinema 4D, 3DS Max and AutoCAD. I continue to research, read about archeology and  queer theories. I keep working and researching about new tools to develop my skills about 3D creation process.