This European Union program aims to support education, training, youth, and sports in Europe.
From May 2 to 6, the Bachelor’s Program in Design, Art, and Technology hosted Selçuk Artut, PhD, an associate professor of media studies at Sabanci University (Istanbul, Turkey), as part of an international academic mobility project under the Erasmus+ Program between ORT and that university.
During his visit, Professor Artut led several activities. First, as part of the Transmedia Narrative course, he gave an open lecture on May 3 titled “Preservation of Technological Arts,” in which he presented his recent artistic work and his research focused on the preservation of technological arts. The lecture was delivered in English.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtasCNSNp6o
On May 4 and 5, he led two workshops:
- Creative coding based on geometric patterns, as part of the Video Art Project, in which he explored coding on a conceptual level with the aim of using computing as an expressive and creative tool.
- Live coding to create audiovisual experiences, as part of the course "Interactive Audiovisual Programming," which focused on computer art and scripting for audiovisual media tools.
Finally, on May 6, he visited the Contemporary Art Space, where he toured the exhibition “Promoting Digital and Electronic Arts” alongside teachers and students.
The event was organized by the School of Communication and Design and the Academic Projects Coordination Office at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
After leading two workshops at ORT, what is your opinion of our students?
Before coming here, I was a little worried about how challenging the workshops would be. During the workshops, I realized that ORT students have a wealth of experience in the fields I was covering. This put me at ease, and I was able to deliver the material very smoothly. In addition, ORT students are highly motivated and actively participate in discussions. In fact, during the second workshop—the Live Coding one—the participants were working so intensely on their projects that they didn’t even want to take a break. This was a very special moment, a testament to their dedication.
What does being an Erasmus+ scholar mean to you?
As a program that supports education, I believe Erasmus+ offers an extraordinary opportunity for educators and students. In the past, I traveled to many countries in Europe to organize workshops at partner schools. Being in Uruguay created a special opportunity to demonstrate that education must be global. Supporting cultural exchanges through various artistic activities, as well as providing funding to educators, fosters extremely productive outcomes. I hope these interactions continue with the support of Erasmus+.
Would you recommend that exchange students from Sabanci University come to ORT?
During my visit, I had the opportunity to meet with the Academic Projects Coordinator, Laura Díaz-Arnesto, and with Prof. Fabián Barros to discuss ORT’s curriculum in greater detail. I believe we have a very similar structure at Sabanci University. Our students will be very interested in coming to ORT because of the cultural diversity and the vibrant educational support offered at the university.
Professor Selçuk Artut holds a Ph.D. in Media Studies from the European Graduate School (Switzerland), a Master’s degree in Sound Arts from Middlesex University (London, United Kingdom), and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Koç University’s College of Arts and Sciences (Istanbul, Turkey).
Since 2011, he has been a partner at the design firm Filika Interaktif Ltd. (Istanbul), and he has been a member of the faculty at Sabanci University (Istanbul) since 2002; since 2017, he has served as the coordinator of all programs in the Department of Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design.
He specializes in graphic design and visual communication, interactive art, sound art, creative coding, and interactive materiality.