Sustainable art and craft
Kastamonu Entegre hosted the talk on “Customizable, Adaptable” during the seventh and last session of Bridging Nature and Life Meetings. Deniz Sağdıç, Visual Artist and Founder of Sustainable Art House, and Efe Urgunlu, Founder of No:3 Architecture and Design and Atelier Terra Madre, took part as the speakers in the session where the sustainability of art and the functionality of craft were discussed.
A global brand in the wood-based panel industry, Kastamonu Entegre entertained Deniz Sağdıç, Visual Artist and Founder of Sustainable Art House, and Efe Urgunlu, Founder of No:3 Architecture and Design and Atelier Terra Madre, in the seventh session of Bridging Nature and Life Meetings held at the KEAS Concept Studio and moderated by Yapı Kataloğu (Building Catalog). The talk that took place with the huge turnout of audience from architecture students and architecture and design industries addressed the theme of “Customizable, Adaptable”.
“Sustainable art should not exist in galleries, but in spaces accessible to everyone”
Starting his talk by underlining that art has been one of the forms of self-expression since the existence of human beings, the Visual Artist and Founder of Sustainable Art House Deniz Sağdıç said, “Art is a structure where we can always see that spirit, delicacy and sensitivity in the pottery, jewelry, caves, architectural structures and everywhere we can think of. Recently, works of art have started to be produced behind closed doors, such as in museums and galleries. However, I strongly believe that sustainable art should reach everyone in every way. My goal has been to show how any waste generated by us can be turned into art, and that this art is in a structure that exists in public spaces and daily life, and is accessible to everyone. Art has no religion, no language, no race, and it stands very much in the middle. When you reach people through art, you can shape their minds, souls and thoughts very quickly. And that is what I try to reveal in my works.”
Sağdıç, making human portraits with 12 different techniques from many waste materials, such as waste denim fabric, buttons, labels, expired medicines, cables, electronic circuit wastes and garbage bags, remarks that he tells about people again through the works he creates with waste generated by people's daily consumption. He underlines that he can reach more people and raise awareness by exhibiting his works in crowded places, such as trade fairs, airports, hospitals, congresses and subways.
Creating brands and spaces with a story
Drawing attention with his designs in the food and food retailing industries, the founder of No:3 Architecture and Design and Atelier Terra Madre Efe Urgunlu stated that they attach great importance to the elements of differentiation and story creation in a design and said, “When we start working on a project, we act like tailors; first, we write a deep story that fits the nature of the project. And this is a divisive start on the way to the outcome. When creating places to eat and drink, you need to do the underlying mathematics well. If you fail to do this mathematics well, you end up with an unhappy chef, an unhappy customer and eventually an unhappy investor. Creating a brand from scratch, from its menu to the equipment used to present that menu, and giving it a corporate identity is all about creating a good story.”
Urgunlu continued his words by stressing that Atelier Terra Madre designs are driven by the touch of many different artisans until they reach the table, and said, “Our source of inspiration is nature itself. We take care to use any materials that Mother Earth offers us in both form and material. This approach involves a number of processes, including the initial modeling, molding, casting the bronze and assembling the other materials to be used. As such, the value of craft comes to the fore in this journey. I think it is also our responsibility to protect the craft and craftsmen and carry them into the future. For this purpose, we film the production process of all materials and make them available to enthusiasts on our YouTube page.”
The Bridging Nature and Life Meetings brought together architects, interior designers and industry professionals at the KEAS Concept Studio under various topics in 2023. In 2024, the Meetings will continue to bring new topics and guests together with the audience.
