Digital artist, motion graphics designer, and creative director Atilla Erkmen was a guest on the program “Eylül Aşkın İle,” hosted by Eylül Aşkın. Erkmen talked about his art journey, what NFTs bring to the digital art world, and his new projects.

In the talk held at Medusa Artkafe, Erkmen explained how his educational journey, which began with plastic arts and art history, directed him toward digital arts, saying, “I always had a passion for producing art inside me. When NFT technologies opened a field for digital art, I tried to find a place in that field.”

“NFT Establishes the Ownership of the Digital Work”

Describing NFT as one of the most important tools for digital art, Erkmen said:
“Nothing other than an NFT can provide the state of a digital work belonging to you. This can be thought of like a certificate or proof of originality in physical art. NFT has created a very significant space of freedom where digital artists can establish themselves.”

Explaining Love with a Space Metaphor: “I Interpreted It as Freedom”

Stating that he processed love through the metaphor of space in his NFT collection named “Touch”, Erkmen explained this connection as follows:
“I interpreted the relationship between love and space more as freedom. A state of not being tied to a place in a material sense, of belonging to each other but also being in a free environment… Space is a perfect metaphor to reflect the boundlessness of love and its infinite possibilities.”

Digital Relations and Societal Constriction

Expressing that in his “Digital Interrelations” series, he addresses digitalized relationships and the constriction of modern humans, Erkmen stated: “The digital environment fuels the tendency of people to present themselves differently than they are. People act as if they are in a constant state of motivation and perfection, but this leads them away from reality. I am trying to describe the constriction of society through people who have not embarked on the path of self-knowledge.”

AI Should Be a “Tool,” Not an “Artist”

Also touching on the place of artificial intelligence in art production, Erkmen highlighted ethical boundaries:
“It is not ethical to present a work produced solely by artificial intelligence as ‘I made this.’ Artificial intelligence should be used as a tool, just like a collage artist bringing different materials together. Art requires intuition and expression unique to humans.”

USF Festival Opens Space for Independent Works

Sharing information about the Universal Science Fiction and Fantastic Film Festival (USF), of which he has been the director since 2023, Erkmen said: “We want to strengthen science fiction and fantasy cinema in Turkey and open a space for independent producers. This year, short films produced with artificial intelligence will also compete. The festival is not just about films; it is an experience area filled with digital art, robotic technologies, and talks.”

Future Projects: Cultural Studies and Screenplays

Sharing his near-future plans, Erkmen said he aims to pursue a second master’s degree in cultural studies and research the intercultural interaction of images from ancient civilizations to the present day. He also added that he is working on screenplay projects.