ISTANBUL, TURKEY.-The interdisciplinary and international art project OVERTURES consists of artists, curators, researchers and journalists. It combines art, technology and ecology with the focus on water in order to reflect the present status quo we live with. Between the 20.10. and 26.10.2007, OVERTURES has made an expedition to Turkey in order to analyze the social, cultural, political, economical and poetic dimensions of water. After a three day stay in Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa and a visit of the Atatürk Dam, the group came to Istanbul to continue its research. In the end of the expedition, the organization of the international symposium Hydroformance Turkey - Water between Poetics and Politics and the exhibition Overtures Turkey 2007- Water between Poetics and Politics at the project space ARTVARIUM at the PROJE4L Museum formed an intellectual and visual conclusion.

The exhibition, which is curated by Marcus Graf, shows different media and different concepts around the poetics and politics of water. Genco Gülan (Turkey) presents videos related to the mythology of water; Orhan Cem Çetin (Turkey) exhibits photos about the mysticism of water; Silvia Erdem (Germany/ Turkey) shows a video – painting installation related to the contemplative side of water; Rúrí (Iceland) presents some projects documenting how industrial interests are bringing about the flooding of a unique highland ecosystem in her country. Kalle Laar (Germany) connects us directly to a glacier in order to hear his melting. Silver & Hanne Rivrud (Norway) document their avatar performances “Intrigue-e” dealing with control and our attitude within society in relation to environmental demands.

Artists: Genco Gülan (Turkey), Kalle Laar (Germany), Orhan Cem Çetin (Turkey), Rúrí (Iceland), Silvia Erdem (Germany/ Turkey), Silver & Hanne Rivrud (Norway). Curator - Marcus Graf (Germany/ Turkey).

About OVERTURES - There is hardly an issue of more pressing and decisive importance to mankind’s future than Earth’s natural resources. Indeed, there are ecological as well as mental aspects involved in how society is dealing with this. Then again, the growing scarcity of our essential raw materials is the item on humanity’s agenda that requires urgent attention.

OVERTURES, a series of art projects and exhibitions launched in the year 2000 by artcircolo, deals with a complex of issues having to do with this topic. From its very inception, this has been designed to entail close cooperation among artists, curators, technologists, scientists, economists and media experts. From the consequences of climatic change, the details of which are still unforeseeable, OVERTURES derives designs for alternative food for thought and points of view in order to provide society with options for action that are artistically accented and thus intentionally left open. Artists are currently collaborating in various interdisciplinary partnerships to develop works and communication strategies whose field of resonance is centered on the problematic issue of the changing role of water in the future.

The preconditions for exploring and commenting on global manifestations of nature and the environment are physical experience and a process of confronting local situations. Thus OVERTURES has been conceived as a long-term expedition, with stops in a wide variety of cities and countries.