The Pond
Details
Artists: Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar
Title: The Pond
Year: 2023
Duration: 3:25 minutes
Medium: AI-generated video and sound, Full HD
Credit: Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar, The Pond, 2023. Courtesy and © the artists. Selected for AFI’25 by Istanbul Modern, Türkiye.
The Pond (2023)
Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar
Selected by Instanbul Modern, Türkiye
The Pond explores the relationship between transformation, memory, and the interplay of humans and nature through a metaphorical narrative. Drawing inspiration from 5,000-year-old votive vessels depicting frogs carrying one another, discovered in the Seyitömer archaeological excavations, and the contemporary migration of frogs crossing highways to reach the Palazoğlu Pond, the film intertwines traces of the past and present using AI tools.
Inspired by the metamorphosis of frogs, the film establishes a fictional world where villagers embrace this natural cycle with awareness, incorporating frogs into embroidery, beadwork, and everyday objects. This narrative mirrors both the cyclical rhythms of nature and humanity’s tendency to appropriate and transform symbols into cultural artifacts.
Visualizing the process of ideas transforming into words and words into images, The Pond showcases the creative potential of rapidly advancing AI technologies in 2023. With its visual and conceptual depth, the film invites viewers to reflect on themes of memory, transformation, and permanence, while also documenting the ability of AI tools to achieve documentary-like realism.
Istanbul Modern say:
As Istanbul Modern curatorial team, we have been closely following the development of Ahmet Rüstem Ekici and Hakan Sorar, whose works were featured in the temporary group exhibition “Timeless Curiosities” at the museum. By researching various fields, including archaeology and history, and utilizing digital tools, the artists take an inspiring approach to their unique multi-dimensional productions. Simultaneously, they use technological devices and digital tools to interpret local narratives through their individual and collaborative works. “The Pond” (2023), created with artificial intelligence, is one of the best examples of the artists’ production ecosystem and offers a relatable perspective on the theme of this year's Artists’ Film International.
The artificial intelligence used in creating the video “The Pond” presents a visual language that straddles the line between dream and reality. Alongside this ever-evolving technology, the metaphorical narration, which is rooted in reality, encourages viewers to engage with the theme “Dream States.” Sustainability, the relationship between humans and non-humans, and the cycles that sustain life all enrich the storytelling of the video. Rather than being didactic, the work, with its imaginative possibilities, reinforces its unique position between documentary and fiction.
Istanbul Modern's main objectives are to bring artists from around the world to art enthusiasts in Türkiye and to connect local creativity to the global stage, aligning with the goals of Artists' Film International. Additionally, the program's focus on moving images allows the museum's curatorial team to review various works produced in this field over recent years. One of the program's key achievements is to enhance the visibility of young artists from Türkiye and other countries on a global scale through participating institutions, allowing their works to be featured in different venues and various formats.
Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar, The Pond, 2023. Courtesy and © the artists. Selected for AFI’25 by Istanbul Modern, Türkiye.
Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar, The Pond, 2023. Courtesy and © the artists. Selected for AFI’25 by Istanbul Modern, Türkiye.
Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar, The Pond, 2023. Courtesy and © the artists. Selected for AFI’25 by Istanbul Modern, Türkiye.
Artist Q&A
What does a democratic, international film programme such as Artists' Film International, mean to you as an artist?
Since the first use of moving image to convey information and narrative, video art has evolved into one of the most powerful tools for raising awareness. Festivals and special programs that unite creatives with shared visions play a pivotal role in the flow and exchange of knowledge. Participating in such events, therefore, offers an opportunity to amplify voices, foster inspiration, and explore new perspectives.
What compels you to work with moving image, and when did you firstbecome interested in the medium?
Since the early 2000s, we have been deeply interested in 3D modeling programs and animations. While exploring movement and mimicking reality, our passion for set and stage design, as well as lighting and sound design, provided us with creative freedom far beyond the physical world. This allowed us to experiment with production design and create short films that challenge the boundaries of the body and architecture, particularly by designing gravity-free environments. Both of us grew up with a strong fascination for music videos and machinima forms, which exemplify storytelling in computer games. Today, using AI tools to construct these processes and discover new potentials open up exciting opportunities for our curiosity-driven approach. Ahmet Rüstem’s expertise in set design and Hakan Sorar’s experience in photography enable us to combine traditional 3D modeling tools with next-generation technologies, enriching our artistic practice as a duo.
Can you speak about the potential that dreaming and altered states of reality offer individuals and societies? How do you feel this is reflected in filmmaking and in your artwork specifically?
Since prehistoric times, humanity has transformed surfaces, embedding them with knowledge and inscribing stories. Cave walls, with their drawings and shadows, served as companions in creating performative spaces. Throughout human and architectural history, countless narratives have been conveyed through mediums like stained glass and frescoes. Today, we construct virtual surfaces using new-generation tools, transferring knowledge while unlocking new experiences.
As a duo, we focus on crafting visible and invisible narratives, particularly through augmented reality (AR). AR technology allows us to engage the audience directly in the artwork, offering a second phase of the narrative while bypassing censorship and expanding storytelling possibilities. With virtual reality tools, we create multidimensional spaces where stories unfold through immersive soundscapes and navigation. The age of interactive, audience-encompassing experiences has already begun, with technologies like spatial audio and interactive environments introducing entirely new storytelling languages.
In this context, we have been exploring innovative ways to engage audiences with video art. One of our most significant works, “Theatrum Mundi,” (2023) exemplifies this approach. As a hybrid machinima form, it allows audiences to experience video art through our pre-set camera perspectives and by navigating freely within the video world, like controlling a virtual drone. Additionally, the audience can become directors, lighting designers, sound designers, and set decorators, reshaping the world before them by adjusting weather conditions and camera angles. This approach highlights the potential of dreaming and altered states of reality to construct narratives for individuals and societies. It also enables us to redefine video art as a medium for exploring and sharing these transformative possibilities.
Please share a list of books, music, films, artworks, thinkers, spaces and places that inspire your practice, and in particular have fed into your thinking around this film.
The Pond (2023) was part of our exhibition Rest in Pieces, where we explored themes of permanence and mortality through a queer lens on archaeological objects. During the exhibition process, we had the opportunity to work at the Tavşanlı Höyük excavation site and read numerous valuable archaeological articles. Our creative process is often accompanied by music from artists like Kate Bush, Lykke Li, and Woodkid, as well as a variety of soundtracks that inspire us. Books on archaeology and human history are among our constant references. While preparing the video, we traveled extensively across Anatolia, visiting various cities and excavation sites, which significantly informed our perspective.In addition to contemporary artists, we closely follow the works of Eduardo Casanova, Guillermo Del Toro, and Hideo Kojima, whose approaches deeply resonate with our practice.
What new projects or lines of research are currently preoccupying you?
We are currently focusing on creating interactive light and video experiences using game engines. Our research explores virtual camera spaces where viewers can actively engage with and transform the environment. In traditional set design, compositions were crafted to enrich the film based on the camera’s perspective. In 360-degree immersive spaces, however, our goal is to design sets and atmospheres that can be experienced from every angle at any moment.
We continue to explore perception and optical illusions, integrating spatial and sound experiences into our work. In the near future, we plan to develop a 360-degree spatial experience that allows the audience to transform the space in real-time. Additionally, we are experimenting with AI tools to explore their potential in film creation while documenting the process.
Details
Artists: Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar
Title: The Pond
Year: 2023
Duration: 3:25 minutes
Medium: AI-generated video and sound, Full HD
Credit: Ahmet Rüstem Ekici & Hakan Sorar, The Pond, 2023. Courtesy and © the artists. Selected for AFI’25 by Istanbul Modern, Türkiye.