May – June 2025

Issue 28 is Now Available!

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
A Conversation with AI
The cover image was designed by Artificial Intelligence (AI). We gave the AI the text of the article titled "Just Asking," which you'll find in this magazine's pages, and asked it to design an image that would fit the article. The image we chose for the cover is one of the images AI created for this article. This image immediately forces us to stop and think, even if only for a few seconds. It's a visual language that depicts a world full of uncertainty: a field covered in fog, traffic lights... The human figure we see from behind, stopped at an orange traffic light, a question mark in the sky amidst the fog.

It makes us pause and think for a moment. Just like the interview on the following pages. The article, titled "Just Asking: A Conversation with the Artificial Intelligence That Doesn't Sleep, But Watches With Full Attention," is actually the text of Dick van Zuijlen's conversation with the Artificial Intelligence. We once again enlisted the help of AI to translate the conversation, originally in English, into Turkish. Naturally, as editors, we carried out our usual editing and trimming, bringing the piece to its final form. While the content of this piece isn't directly related to art, it is directly connected to the state of the world we live in. Therefore, it's on our radar. We've always held social issues close to our hearts; we've created numerous feature stories and hosted interview series in this regard, and we will continue to do so.

When we received our author's conversation with ChatGPT, we clearly understood that we were at a turning point. We're confident that when you read it, you'll witness the potential, power, and "intelligence" of AI, a concept that has entered all of our lives in one way or another; you'll gain a full understanding of the capabilities of an Artificial Intelligence talking to a human. Immediately after Trump's election, the AI answered our author's questions, based solely on curiosity and what it had read, not only to the best of its knowledge; it also questions the other person's intentions and stances. As our human writer asks questions about the state of the world, the AI in front of him tries to understand him, to solve them, to grasp the kind of mind he's talking to. Then, together, they ponder the state of the world. Curious about each other, sometimes agreeing, even reaching an agreement. The resulting conversation is quite intriguing; it's quite chilling to read.

To the human questioning the state of a world filled with uncertainty, the AI asks, in the crudest terms, questions between the lines: "Why are you asking me these questions?", "Who are you, what are you interested in?", and "What are you trying to do?" Together, they reveal the chaotic state of the world behind the fog. As two intelligences, one human and the other machine, discover each other, the result is a mind-opening conversation you'll long to hear more about.

With the magic of this conversation, we wanted to leave a historical record; to document what was happening in these relatively early days when machines and humans began to converge. We have no idea where the relationship between AI and humans will go in 30 years, or what this magazine you are holding in your hands will evolve into. All we know is that we are shrouded in a global fog about what tomorrow will hold, and that what emerges from the interaction between AI and the human mind in this new world will be the most important factor that will determine our future.

We hope you read the article we've included on the cover with this perspective.

Evrim Altuğ wrote a wonderful article about Teoman Madra, who recently passed away. Entitled "Teoman Bey...", the article offers a valuable opportunity to understand the perspective and mind of Teoman Madra, a pioneer of experimental photography, video art, and digital art in Turkey, who left his mark not only on artistic production but also on the idea of democratizing art.

Ceren Erdem and Bilge Kalfa, curators of the Turkish Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, discussed their work "Yerebasan" (Groundhog Day) with Bahar Turkay.

While dogs across the country are being brutally slaughtered under a law that completely defies reason, logic, humanity, conscience, and even the flow of life, an exhibition titled "The Life of Animals" opened at SALT, exploring the evolving relationship between humans and animals throughout history. Focusing on the human-animal relationship, which extends from shared existence to domination, the exhibition's intellectual center is comprised of works by German-Iraqi activist artist Lin May Saeed, whose work satirizes cruelty towards animals.

Taner Ceylan and Rugül Serbest collaborated for a year, resulting in a unique exhibition. Under Ceylan's mentorship, you'll find a special conversation with Sine Ergün about the artist and curator's journey, as well as the exhibition "You Die Like You Are Smiling at My Eyes (Illustrated Heart Anatomy)" at Pi Artworks Istanbul.

Bringing together the best of culture and art.

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