New media artist Refik Anadol announced that he would provide an opportunity for 100 design and art students affected by the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş to realize their dreams through the Entrepreneurship Foundation. In addition, Anadol presented his latest project, "Glacier Dreams," and his work to support earthquake victims at the 16th edition of Art Dubai. This contemporary art fair brings together artists from around the world.
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent, Anadol shared that following the earthquakes on Feb. 6 was challenging. He said: "One night, when I returned from a study in the rainforests, I was awakened by my mother's phone call in Los Angeles. Although our family was not directly impacted, I have many relatives who were. From the beginning, I felt the importance and urgency of doing something. I quickly opened a crypto wallet account and started a charity campaign. In 48 hours, we raised approximately $227,470 (TL 4.3 million)."
Anadol and his wife also donated approximately TL 7.5 million out of their own pocket.
"Subsequently, various charities opened crypto wallets, and I believe they also collected significant donations. Lastly, I wanted to help students from the earthquake zone realize their dreams. Therefore, we will offer 100 design and art students the opportunity to pursue their dreams through the Entrepreneurship Foundation," he added.
Something different
Anadol provided insights into his latest work, "Glacier Dreams," exhibited in the 16th edition of Art Dubai with the sponsorship of the Swiss bank Julius Baer. He also announced that Julius Baer had initiated a new project named "next" at Art Dubai, which aims to bring new dreams to life at the intersection of art, technology and science.
The artist revealed that the project, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, began with documenting 85 million glaciers. However, Anadol decided to take a different approach to the project. Rather than solely collecting data from open sources, he traveled to Greenland and Antarctica to gather the data, spending four weeks conducting in-depth research.
Anadol emphasized that they are currently working on projects in 19 countries across different platforms. He noted that this journey represents a reality he dreamed of 14 years ago.
Pioneer in field
Anadol spoke about his team's work over the past nine years, during which they produced various projects with 15 people. As a pioneer in the field as a Turkish artist, Anadol takes pride in his work but also acknowledges the responsibility it entails. He notes that those who seek to prevent change are always present when trying to do something new, which requires a forward-thinking attitude. As he encounters resistance, he thinks of future generations who will benefit from his work.
Anadol also reflected on his exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, calling it a tremendous experience to showcase his art there. After working with curators for two years, he received 24 positive, in-depth articles and two negative ones. He believes that the negative articles were written by people opposed to innovation and progress. Anadol acknowledges that interpreting artificial intelligence (AI) in just eight minutes is challenging, and it is unfair to expect someone unfamiliar with the subject to do so.
Art Dubai, one of the most important international art fairs, welcomed over 130 galleries from 43 countries this year, including five from Türkiye. The contemporary section of the fair featured works from Türkiye's Zilberman Gallery, x-ist, Pilevneli, Dirimart and Sanatorium.