Interview: Ozan Ertug
Luca Curci talks with Ozan Ertug during HYBRID IDENTITIES, first appointment of BORDERS ART FAIR, at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

“My works at the Borders Art Fair seek to challenge the traditional boundaries of architecture by exploring the relationship between technology and the human body. Through my designs, I strive to create a new kind of space that is not limited by physical barriers but expands beyond the confines of the material world. My works blur the lines between the natural and artificial, the physical and virtual, the human and non-human, creating a world where technology and biology are interwoven”.

Luca Curci – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Ozan Ertug – I graduated from the faculty of architecture in 2006. But I started working much earlier. I learned the 3dsMax program in 2000 before I learned any other program and since then I have a special interest and inclination in Computer added design. I have been in at least 100 projects in my professional life, I witnessed the construction of 20+ of them. On top of that, I had the chance to specialize in ecological structures for 3 years and I realized 2 different ecological building applications. Nowadays, I have the opportunity to simulate the results of my work faster with the support of artificial intelligence, in fact, since I have already integrated such a system into my work discipline with smaller and different approaches for a long time, I adapted very quickly to artificial intelligence assisted design.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? In which way did it inspire you?
OE – The word “hybrid” in the concept of the festival is perhaps a concept that defines our age because I think that industrial approaches developed during the 20th century fused with new approaches and changed us. This means a kind of fusion of natural and synthetic as we enter an era in which interspecies relations gain more importance rather than a human-centred design approach. It was a festival that hinted at both an inspiring and exciting future.

LC – Among the several techniques you use, which one do you prefer to practice, and which of them is most compelling for you?
OE – As a designer, I always think different techniques and different ways of doing something are very good advantages. Because every method has weak/strong sides and the design requires weaving between these methods. In other words, when the design is made by going back and forth between different methods, it moves away from the impositions of the methods and reflects the designer’s vision more. The AI-assisted design has filled a very important gap between these methods, the need for rapid visualization or sketching. I think this is a revolution that saves people from the steep learning curve of graphic and realistic visualization tools and makes the design more open and free.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artwork?
OE – The most difficult part of my work is actually choosing because the most important role of the designer today is to have a healthy curatorial perception (both for his own ideas and those of others) while navigating among many topics and ideas. We can also simplify it as having a taste, but in fact, this is a taste acquired over a long period of time.

LC – What issues do you intend to deal with in the future?
OE – In general, I do parametric and algorithmic studies in order to get rid of the documentation burden of architecture and move directly from computer simulation to production. But more generally It is very pleasant to think about what I will turn into as both a designer and a human being in a future where people’s ties to the material world are also questioned. Thinker and scientist Donna J. Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifest” is an indispensable reference for me. Because of this view, I progress and share my Works under the “Synthetic Architecture” name.

LC – What is the message linked to the artwork you have shown in this event? How is it connected to the theme of the entire exhibition?
OE – As I mentioned before, “Hybrid Identities” is a very well-positioned subject (both in terms of space and time), so an instant neural connection emerged with my own thinking processes about the subject of this exhibition. My work dreams of what NYC – a city shaped by the egocentric and brutal materialization of the past century – might look like in an ecologically diverse future on an interspecies relationship plane. I think that this creates a collective neural feeling created by the points I have seen in other works on the subject of human/nature’s union, fusion and transcendence and the integration of artificial and natural.

LC – Can you explain something about the artwork you have in our exhibition?
OE – NYC is actually a very special city where the extremes and differences of our century have the opportunity to show themselves. For some reason, examining the transformation of this city likens me to studying the evolution of humans. The combination of different types and formations of the city, where the people of the age trying to move away to escape from the chaos, will be in parallel with the integration of humans with implants and artificial intelligence. In my work, it is a reflection of this on a city scale.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
OE – It has been a pleasure to work with ITSLIQUID since the invitation to take part in this exhibition, I hope we will have the opportunity to work together in the future.

LC – What is your idea about ITSLIQUID GROUP?
OE – ITSLIQUID group really impressed me with such a topic and an enormous selection of wonderful locations. Although I normally attend exhibitions and symposiums on many subjects in many places, it was especially very valuable for me to be included in this exhibition. There are very important openings at the intersection of architecture and art, and I think ITSLIQUID has a very important catalyst effect on their events.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
OE – Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit the exhibition due to the long process of democratic elections in the country I live in, but I think it was a very good experience during the exhibition preparations. Due to the highly experienced and problem-solving approach of the organization team, I had a lot of time to develop my work. I also enjoyed the materials shared through the social media.