Interview: Ayşegül Altınel
Luca Curci talks with Ayşegül Altınel during HYBRID IDENTITIES, first appointment of BORDERS ART FAIR 2023, held in Venice, at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

Ayşegül Altınel was born in İstanbul, Turkey in 1989. She completed her undergraduate studies in Textile Arts/Pattern Design. In order to expand her horizons beyond a single field, she gained experience by working in various areas of art and design and collaborating with many brands. Combining her artistic journey with her industrial experience, Altınel offers a unique perspective where she addresses themes of pop culture, authority and humanity. She references her childhood with the contrasted color palettes she often uses. She manipulates reality with playful forms and stimulates the viewer’s imagination by using artificial intelligence in her work.

Luca Curci – We were attracted by the project you have shown, has it been created for the festival or is it a part of preexisting works?
Ayşegül Altınel – It is a part of my preexisting & ongoing project ”Hacking The City”. I started this project by hacking Istanbul, where I was born and raised, which is unfortunately very different from my childhood memories. It was hard for me to accept that the cityscape I saw as a little kid was so different from what I saw as an adult, so I began to visually manipulate facts that I couldn’t change. The Galata Tower as the swings in the amusement park, the Bosphorus Bridge as a roller coaster… I think it was always my imagination that allowed me to deal with reality.

LC – Which project has given you the most satisfaction thus far?
AA – I can say that Hacking The City is the project that gives me the most excitement so far, because it is a project where I can set off with my feelings and turn the steering wheel of the project to the route I want. It’s completely mine.

LC – Which architects inspire you the most?
AA – The architects who inspire me the most are my grandparents! Both my grandfathers are master architects. I grew up in models and carbon papers since I was a child, and seeing my grandparents working seriously and witnessing their projects come to life has always inspired me. Although I do not choose the same path as them, life somehow intersects me with architecture.

LC – What issues do you intend to deal with in the future?
AA – The problems I want to deal with in the future, I think, will always be the ones I can’t escape: authority, pop culture, and humanity.

LC – How is your creative process?
AA – My creative process in general is very painful. If I’m starting with a fresh inspiration, it’s very enjoyable. But in general, the creative process wears me out at first and then delights me with the result. Isn’t art such an ongoing madness?

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or instinctive process?
AA – It’s completely instinctive. I am usually inspired by my own difficulties and the tightness of the society I live in. You know, sometimes you can’t do anything but create, this is something like that. I visually beautify the subjects I don’t like and give the audience something to think about.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
AA – They give you an opportunity to present your artwork internationally, and meet artists from around the world. It also helps you see where you stand in the art world as an artist.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
AA – I think this platform has a very important place for artists because the opportunity to exhibit your works with different artists from all around the world also gives you further opportunities for the future. I’m very grateful to be a part of the Venice International Borders Art Fair.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
AA – Everything went very smoothly in my process, I don’t have any other suggestions to add. Thank you ITSLIQUID!