By Peter Townson/Staff Reporter

 

 

Ergun: anything that brings about a fundamental change ... is a revolution to me
The Doha Film Institute (DFI) is currently running its latest educational initiative at the Arab Museum for Modern Art, where Turkish video artist Koken Ergun is leading a workshop under the title “Revolution”.

The course, which started on March 6 and will finish on March 16, is being attended by 13 students and will result in the production of two films by student teams.

“The workshop is a practical production supported by screenings and installations, exploring a non-linear, avant-garde approach to visual expression,” said a DFI spokesperson.

Ergun, who received the 2007 Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival for his short film The Flag, also conducted a workshop in Qatar last year.

“This process is more important than the product,” he said, adding: “I try to learn from them as they learn from me - for example, I learned a lot from the last workshop, in particular the work the students made about the currency of Mauritania.”

He explained that the current political climate in the region inspired his choice of theme.

“I am very excited about what is happening around the region and I want to talk with my students, and get their thoughts and opinions on events that are shaping modern Arab history.”

“We don’t necessary have to make works about revolution but we will talk about it – it is solidarity of some kind and very relevant to the context,” he said.

Ergun described Egypt’s Tahrir Square as his definition of revolution: “We should all be jealous of them ... every single person on that square is the ‘Time person of the year’.”

“Speaking literally, anything that brings about a fundamental change in power or organisational structure or the way we think as individuals or groups is revolution to me,” added Ergun.

“Video art is a distinct art form which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data – it is the embodiment of the idea of the artist by choosing a variety of means: animations, separate screens, still images, with or without sound, with or without actors,” he explained.

“The goal is to raise the idea, or a certain position for a few minutes, an idea that provokes you, interests you or make you laugh or even cry – sometimes you don’t understand it but you are eager to understand the artist’s message and purpose,” he added.