Organized by the Faculty of Communication at Near East University, the “10th International Photography Days” brought together numerous artists, academics, and photographers from Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.
Near East University, ranked among the top 500 universities in the world, continues to attract attention not only for its scientific output but also for its activities in the fields of art and culture. The 10th of the now traditional “International Photography Days” was held at the Faculty of Communication’s foyer area with a large turnout. A total of 16 international solo and group exhibitions were presented to art lovers throughout the four-day event.
This year’s event, themed “The Future of Seeing – The Transformation of the Image”, brought together artists, academics, and photographers from Northern Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia. A total of 16 international solo and group exhibitions were carried out for the art lovers throughout the four-day event. The transformation of photographic art was addressed from a multifaceted perspective through interviews, conferences, presentations, screenings, and photography tours. Among the exhibitions carried out at the Faculty of Communication foyer, solo exhibitions by Ayman Lotfy, Ayşe Gökyiğit, Ceyhan Özyıldız, Dimitar Chungovski, Ebru Bayan, Emel Sefer, Faruk İbrahimoviç, Gazi Yüksel, Gülay Doğan, İsmail Gökçe, Mehmet Gökyiğit, Mert Yusuf Özlük, Reha Birli, and Süleyman Onan, as well as the group exhibition at Sille Art Palace, attracted great interest.
The event, which saw a large turnout, Prof. Dr. Selahattin Yıldız, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Arel University; Prof. Dr. Emre İkizler, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Marmara University; Prof. Dr. Osman Ürper, faculty member and photographer at Marmara University; Prof. Dr. Ali M. Bayraktaroğlu, former Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Trakya University; and Prof. Dr. Oktay Çolak from Marmara University; Assoc. Prof. Sabire Soytok from the Film Design Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dokuz Eylül University, and Dr. İhsan Koluaçık from the Cinema Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University contributed with their conferences and presentations. At the opening of the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Near East University, Prof. Dr. Fevzi Kasap, and the Head of the Photography and Cinematography Department, Gazi Yüksel, each gave a speech.
The academic and art worlds met under one roof!
The sessions held within the scope of the event assessed current topics such as photographic theory, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cinematic aesthetics, and visual perception. The programs, organized with the participation of experts in their fields, shed light on the changing dynamics of contemporary visual culture. In the four-session program, artists, academics, and photographic theorists discussed contemporary visual culture from different perspectives. Gazi Yüksel made a presentation on “Near East University Photography Days from Past to Present”, Reha Bilir on “The Call of the Spirits”, Mustafa Eser on “Black Spots in Infinity”, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sabire Soytok participated with her presentation and talks titled “The Transformation of Reality and Representation in Cinema in the Digital Age.” The program also included sessions by Prof. Dr. Selahattin Yıldız on “In the Shadow of Reality: Time, Space and Visual Perception” and “Artificial Intelligence and Copyrights”, Özlem Gün Bingöl on “Don’t Believe Everything You See”, Mert Yusuf Özlük on “The Ontology of the Image, the Future of Seeing, a Post-Photographic Reading Through Varosha”, Hülya Akkaya on “Simulation”, and Haluk Uygur on “Art in a Rapidly Changing World.”
Following these, Prof. Dr. Emre İkizler spoke on “The Changing Face of Travel Photography”, Serkan Turaç on “Imagination and Visualization”, and Prof. Dr. Ali M. Bayraktaroğlu made presentation on “Mise En Abyme”, Mehmet Can Demir on “Simulation of Reality and the Digital Memory Crisis: Art and the Uncanny in Artificial Intelligence, CGI, and Deepfake Images”, and Murat Germen on “Forms of Looking, Seeing, and Transmitting.” In the final session, Feray Bilir made a presentation on “Inner Transformation”, Prof. Dr. Osman Ürper on “Creativity in Photography”, Prof. Oktay Çolak on “The Use of Photography in Art Therapy”, Cenk Erdoğan on “The Twilight of Photography: The Ontological Transformation and Debates of Photography in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. İhsan Koluaçık on “An Examination of the Aesthetic Characteristics of Turkish Film Content Published on Netflix.”
Powerful Messages About the Visual World of the Future
Prof. Dr. Fevzi Kasap, Dean of the Faculty of Communication, stated that the university is not only involved in a scientific production process but the organization has demonstrated a strong vision through its work in the fields of education, art, and culture. He pointed out that the “International Photography Days” is an important part of this vision. Saying that the event creates a valuable platform for sharing academically and artistically, Prof. Dr. Kasap added, “This organization is a powerful space for thinking and producing that brings together different disciplines.”
Gazi Yüksel, Head of the Photography and Cinematography Department at Near East University’s Faculty of Communication, drawing attention to the transforming nature of photography, stated that today, photography is no longer solely a product of the human eye, but has evolved into a new form with digital processes and artificial intelligence. Emphasizing that concepts such as post-photography, algorithmic imaging, and AI-assisted production are important parts of this transformation, Yüksel said, “The image is no longer just a tool representing reality, but is transforming into a structure that produces its own reality.” Stating that the interaction between humans and machines will shape the future of art, Yüksel concluded his speech by saying, “Perhaps the art of the future will be born from the shared way of seeing between humans and machines.”
