Bio
Born in 1989 in Istanbul, Turkey, Özcan Ertek is a sonic and media artist working across the fields of sculpture, sound objects and kinetics. He completed his master's degree in Sound Engineering and Sonic Arts at Istanbul Technical University Istanbul MIAM-Centre for Advanced Studies in Music in 2015. Afterwards he completed a diploma programme in the Art and Media department at the University of the Arts Berlin, together with Art in Context master’s programme.
Ertek, who previously received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2011, moved to Germany in 2018 after producing works in various art spaces, galleries, event venues and sound studios in Istanbul. Since November 2018, Ertek has been exhibiting sound and media art installations featuring new media, kinetics and mechanics in Berlin, as well as performing as a musician.
The development of computer technology over the last two decades has led to the creation of sophisticated interfaces using different types of sensors as well as interactive art, which is an important part of Ertek's interdisciplinary practice. Combining his backgrounds in Mechanical Engineering and sound, his works examine themes such as migration, urbanization, identity, human-machine-nature relationships and critically resonate on the social outgrowth of emerging technologies. His work includes interactive sound sculptures, site-specific installations, and field recordings, and uses sound objects as a medium to create immersive experiences that respond to specific locations. He encodes data patterns and gestures into sound whose particular aspects can be decoded by the listener through physical imitation. This translation of abstract phenomena into sensory experiences interests him, because it creates new interactions between the site and the audience of the work, relates the body to the content, and is mediated by technology.
Contact
Mail: ozcanerteks@gmail.com
Education
2007 - 2011 | Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's Degree, Yildiz Technical University
2012 - 2015 | Sound Engineering and Sonic Arts, Master's Degree, MIAM, Istanbul Technical University
2019 - 2022 | Art and Media, Universität der Künste Berlin
2019 - 2023 | Art in Context, Universität der Künste Berlin
Awards / Prizes:
2023 | “Art Space Lab: groundless - Interplay” Somos Art Space, 48 Stunden Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
2022 | “Art Space Lab: groundless” 48 Stunden Neukölln, Sub Tei, Berlin, Germany
Projects / Exhibitions:
06.2024 | “Street View,” Kiezkapelle, 48 Stunden Neukölln, Berlin, DE
06.2024 | “Bells and Cannons,” Frei-raum.berlin, Berlin, DE
06.2024 | “Sound of Green,” Salt Beyoğlu, Istanbul, TR
05.2024 | “Echoing Dimensions,” Kunstraum Potsdamer Straße, Berlin, DE
02.2024 | “Sculpted Sonorities,” Errant Sound, Berlin, DE
01.2024 | “More Strange Things,” Silent Green, Berlin, DE
12.2023 | “When If Not Now?,” CTM Prelude Event, Mahalla, Berlin, DE
12.2023 | Groundless, “Dissonance Within,” Zwitschermaschine, Berlin, DE
07.2023 | Rundgang, University of the Arts Berlin, Berlin, DE
06.2023 | “Groundless: Interplay”, 48 Stunden Neukölln, SomoS Art, Berlin, DE
06.2023 | “Mit der Natur II,” Projektraum Oldenburger Straße, Berlin, DE
04.2023 | “Unfolding Traces,” Kunstraum Potsdamer Straße, Berlin, DE
04.2023 | “Akustik Ufuk / Acoustic Horizon” Pera Museum, Istanbul, TR
02.2023 | “Present Im/possibilities” (transmediale Vorspiel), Designtransfer, Berlin, DE
11.2022 | “Groundless: An Endless Pursuit” - Group Exhibition, Sub Tei, Berlin, DE
09.2022 | Group exhibition at Splace am Hauptplatz, campus exhibition, University of Art and Design Linz, Ars Electronica Linz, AT
06.2022 | Rundgang, University of the Arts Berlin, Berlin, DE
04.2022 | “Time to Time,” LAGE EGAL, Berlin, DE
03.2022 | “Echos aus der Pohlstraße,” Sense of City Ausstellung, Zwitschermaschine, Berlin, DE
07.2021 | Rundgang, University of the Arts Berlin, Berlin, DE
08.2020 | “Never Lock a Running Grid” - FutureLab Exhibition, West Bund Dome, Shanghai, China
07.2020 | “Expanding Spaces,” Frontyard C/O Berlin, Berlin, DE
05.2020 | “Das Loop,” Kinetic Sound Installation, Moving Poets Novilla, Berlin, DE
01.2020 | “Strange Things,” Silent Green, Berlin, DE
10.2019 | Split Level - Gruppen Ausstellung, Potsdamer Str. 65, Berlin, DE
Performances
2024 | “Yeşilin Sesi” Performance, Salt Beyoğlu Wintergarden, Istanbul, TR
2024 | “Echoing Dimensions” Audiovisual Performance, Kunstraum Potsdamer Straße, Berlin, DE
2024 | “Bells and Cannons” Performance, Frei-raum.berlin, Berlin, DE
2023 | “Akustik Ufuk” Performance, Pera Museum, Istanbul, TR
2023 | “Echoes of Spree” - Live Sound Intervention, Fishing for the Future, Spreeufer, Berlin
2022 | Live audiovisual performance (as Seretan), Vorspiel CTM x Transmediale, Silent Green, Berlin, DE
2022 | Algorave Performance, Vorspiel CTM x Transmediale, NoVilla, Berlin, DE
2022 | Live Audiovisual Performance, ACUD, Berlin, DE (as Seretan)
2022 | “The Edge of the Alps” Audiovisual Performance, Flachauwinkl, Austria
2021 | “No Win Situation” Audiovisual Performance, Treptower Ateliers, Berlin, DE
2021 | “FutureVoices” by artist collective S4NTP for Radio Lab Kontinuum (Deutschlandfunk Kultur and CTM), CTM Festival, Berlin, DE
2021 | Society for Non-Trivial Pursuit, Audiovisual Performance, State Studio, Berlin, DE (as Seretan)
Discography / Filmography
soundcollage – Moon Junk E.P, 2011
soundcollage – Bedroom Spirit E.P, 2011
Jungleskin – Energy Drains EP, 2011
Seretan – Live In Dreams E.P, 2016
Seretan – Transference E.P, 2017
Seretan – Persona EP, 2018
Seretan - Lost in Time EP, 2019
Das Loop, Installation, 2019
Melting Soundscapes, Installation, 2020
Air Sculptures, Installation, 2020
Acoustic Horizon, Installation, 2021
Acoustic Mirror, Installation, 2021
Glocken und Kanonen, Installation, 2022
Future Visioning, Installation 2022
Baklava, Video Installation/Film, 2022
Sound Design
Autumn In Bayrampasa OST, Autumn In Bayrampasa, 2010
Light Theory, Bomontiada ALT, 2017
Work Experience
10.2023 - Present | Sound Engineer / Event Technician, Gripstheater, Berlin, Germany
09.2021 - Present | Art Mediator / Musician, Stadtteilverein Tiergarten e.V., Jugendpohl 11, Berlin, Germany
07.2021 - 07.2024 | Sound Engineer, Literaturhaus Berlin, Germany
10.2020 - 02.2022 | Tutorship in Mechatronics Workshop, Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany
10.2020 - 02.2022 | Tutorship in Digitale Bildung Class, Universität der Künste Berlin, Germany
11.2018 - 03.2019 | Live Sound Engineer, Arkaoda, Berlin, Germany
02.2016 - 02.2019 | Sound Designer, Storytel, Istanbul, Turkey
05.2018 - 03.2019 | Music Director, Peyote, Istanbul, Turkey
06.2014 - 07.2016 | Live Sound Engineer, Peyote, Istanbul, Turkey
01.2014 - 02.2016 | Recording Engineer, Babajim Istanbul Studios & Mastering, Istanbul, Turkey
06.2012 - 06.2013 | Live Sound Engineer, Arkaoda, Istanbul, Turkey
Link to audio / video performances