Spatiality Symposium jointly organized by Yoğunluk and MSGSU Aksam (Anatolian Culture and Art Research and Application Center) will be held May 11-12, 2015 in MSGSU Sedad Hakkı Eldem Auditorium. The main themes of the symposium are art works seeing space and spatiality as part of its own existence, and artistic actions producing them. The symposium, which on that occasion will address the concepts of space and spatiality through art production, seeks to reach new apprehensions which can arise about space, but through artistic action. Recently, an announcement was published by the symposium organization committee:
“The subject to be addressed in the symposium will be the spatiality of artistic action and its relationship with the space it is in. Here, we have to define two concepts: The first one is “artistic action”. Art disciplines, as days go by, become more open-ended. As they break the limits inside them, extending towards non-art disciplines, the concept of “art” gets removed from fixed definitions. “Spatiality”, which is the second concept in its most basic sense, is the “state of simultaneousness”; that is, the state of sharing the same moment. Accordingly, space is formed not just as “void remaining between certain physical boundaries” but through those who share that moment, and the relationship between them. Hence, one can say easily that simultaneous sharing of a certain setting creates a new spatiality each time.
Although employed tools, materials and techniques may differ, each type of artistic action takes place in space. The relationship of action (therefore, artistic product) with space, on the other hand, varies depending on the intents in the production process. Although art work may be designed as an autonomous object finished within itself, independent of the spatial context it is in; it can be said that a collision occurs the moment it meets space. This collision generally creates randomness. Exhibition venues described as “white cube” are perhaps opted for, as they can minimize the unexpected consequences of this collision. These “placeless” spaces, which are abstract, timeless and the same wherever you go in the world; almost relax autonomous objects. On the other hand, an artistic production, which sets out to establish an existential relationship with the space it will be placed in from the start, and which can manage this; can give rise also to a total change in the space it settles in. This situation may create a brand new spatial wholeness experience.
It shouldn’t be neglected that artistic production has spatiality also within itself. The simultaneousness of colors on canvas forms the painting; simultaneous organization of sounds give rise to a work of music. Just as the displacement of colors on canvas leads to a change in terms of quality, the change of the positions in space of sound sources, and the relationship between them – depending on the place parameter – changes the quality of work of music. Or a theatral production, which is not subdued by the mandatory historical structure of a stage play, which employs the simultaneousness capability of the theatral venue including the audience, says what it has to say through this relationship.
The symposium seeks to mull over the capabilities of a relationship of type described above. Art works which see space and spatiality as part of their own existence and artistic actions producing them, are the main theme of the symposium. To address the concepts of space and spatiality through art production, reaching new depths of apprehension which can arise on space only through artistic action, are the main objectives.
Symposium calendar: January 15, 2015 abstract submission deadline; May 11, 2015, full paper text submission deadline.
