In cooperation with Açık Stüdyo & K2UNA & Spaces of Culture & IDAS NRW

Açık Stüdyo continues to open up space for international contemporary performance practices in its new campus K2 Urla Breathing Zone where it pursues its performance research on the topic of sustainable life. We are
proud to present our new project Permanent Contemporary: Nature where

we investigate the relationship between nature and humans. We believe that our current discontentment with life may stem from our disturbed relationship with nature, an essential component for our survival and well being. With this idea in mind, we have compiled a selection of workshops, performances and a documentary project bringing all events together.
The relationship of humans to nature might indeed be one of the central questions in the history of art and we believe it is, and will continue to be, a contemporary question. The workshops and performances within the project take place between July 15th and August 1st 2019. The screening date for the documentary film made by İlyas Hayta is scheduled for September 2019.

In the framework of the project, eight artists from Turkey will collaborate with two artists from Europe in K2 Urla Breathing Zone. The artists will reside in the premises for a duration of two weeks in which they will devise four performances and conduct three workshops. Some of the performances will be new creations whereas some will be re-adaptations of existing pieces to the space within the framework of our concept: relationship of humans to nature. Among our resident artists are our long term collaborators (Serenay Oğuz, Umut Sevgül, Metehan Kayan and Sarp Keskiner) and some we will host for the first time (Aslı Bostancı and Fatih Gençkal). Gaby Koch and Felix Bürkle will open up their work for collaborators whereas Bahar Nihal Ersözlü and Süha Ertekin will share their work through workshops.

The program begins on July 15th with a series of workshops geared towards the unity of body, mind and soul conducted by Bahar Nihal Ersözlü, Fatih Gençkal and our guest from İstanbul: Süha Ertekin. Part of the work consists of an introduction to Taoist body, mind and soul discipline of Tai Chi and its relationship to contemporary poetry. Bahar Nihal Ersözlü assists Master Süha Ertekin in his workshop with adults from a perspective of poetry. Author of the poetry book Little Tao on the Road, Ersözlü also conducts a special workshop with children based on the relationship of Tai Chi and poetry. Daily yoga sessions led by Fatih Gençkal are the other component of the workshops which end on July 20th. On the evening of July 20th, Düsseldorf-based artist Gaby Koch and Izmir-based artist Serenay Oğuz will present the contact improvisation performance ‘Ecological Bod: Animal Instinct’ in cooperation with musician Sarp Keskiner. The second performance of the night will be the site- specific ‘Di-Kine’ by Umut Sevgül and Metehan Kayan. Meditating on the issue of ecological destruction, the performance will also be presented on August 1st. On July 31st and August 1st, the Istanbul-based artist Aslı Bostancı leads a Voice- Body workshop where she tries to strengthen, or rather re-establish our ties with our bodies and the universe through voice. She will also perform her solo, Calling Vaikhari on August 1st. Vaikhari refers to the audible stage of sound that we share in our waking consciousness. The last performance of the evening of August 1st is Düsseldorf-based artist Felix Bürkle’s: The Wood Project – İzmir. Bürkle created the choreography in 2011 inspired from his meditation on the relationship of nature and humans when his family’s property in the woods was severely damaged after a hurricane. He created the choreography using the broken branches of the trees in the land. He will collaborate with Metehan Kayan, Serenay Oğuz, Umut Sevgül and Sarp Keskiner in K2 Urla Breathing Zone over a period of two weeks to re-interpret the material for the space.

Events

“Ecological Body: Animal Instinct” Contact Improvisation Performance on July 20th at 21.00, by Gaby Koch and Serenay Oğuz
with the participation of Sarp Keskiner.

“Di-Kine” Site-Specific Performance on July 20th at 21.00 and August 1st at 19.30 by Metehan Kayan and Umut Sevgül.

“Voice-Body” Workshop July 31st at 15.30-19.30

August 1st at 10.30-12.00 by Aslı Bostancı
“Calling Vaikhari” Voice-Body Performance

August 1st at 20.30 by Aslı Bostancı
“The Wood Project – İzmir” Site-Specific Performance

August 1st at 21.30 by Felix Bürkle, Metehan Kayan, Serenay Oğuz, Umut Sevgül, with the participation of Sarp Keskiner

All events are free.