Meanings and Materialities
Meanings and Materialities
Exhibition 6–15 June
Open every day 12:00-18:00Umut Vedat
This paper explores the artistic dimensions of digital gift-giving in online gaming communities, investigating how virtual culture, aesthetics, and social interaction intersect. The study aims to understand how digital gifts embody unique sensory, spatial aesthetics that influences the immersive experience of gamers in virtual worlds.
The research uses a mixed-methods approach, including visual ethnography and collaborative artistic practices, to examine the diverse forms of artistic expression in online gaming cultures.
By analyzing multimedia data such as screenshots, video clips, and digital artwork created by gamers, the study aims to uncover the complex interplay between digital gifts, social relationships, and cultural production in virtual environments.
The outcome of the study also proposes the development of interactive HapticVR art installation and experimental interventions that blur the boundaries between virtual and physical spaces. These installations invite participants to engage with digital gifts in embodied and multisensory ways. By critically reflecting on the materiality and temporality of digital artifacts exchanged as gifts, the study aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and push the boundaries of artistic inquiry in digital contexts.
Ultimately, this paper aims to offer insights into the transformative potential of virtual culture and the role of digital artifacts in shaping contemporary forms of artistic expression. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the artistic dimensions of digital gift-giving in online gaming communities, opening up new avenues for interdisciplinary research.
Umut Vedat, a storyteller, followed his soul in photography and documentary filmmaking. Umut's lens has been aimed to capture the complexities of human experiences, focusing on cultural interactions, discrimination, and environmental issues.
Collaborating with NGOs like Roots&Routes, TEMA, Greenpeace, European Climate Foundation, and the Armenian Heritage Foundation, Umut's works were featured in renowned media outlets including The Guardian and Le Monde. His exhibitions spanned Istanbul, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Vienna, San Francisco, and he contributed to platforms like the Angkor Photo Festival.
Previously a creative director in advertising, Umut transitioned to explore the expressive power of dance and music shorts, channeling emotions and conducting personal artistic research on body movements. Umut's passion for cultural empathy led to a TEDx speech, directing the activist documentary "Dark Atlas (2016)" and directing a light performance "Syntax Error (2020)" at the ÖÖvalgel Light Festival in Estonia, as well as directed his first drama short film "Lukus (2021)" in Estonia.
Obtaining an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree in Cinematography from esteemed institutions in Dublin (IADT), Budapest (SzFE), and Tallinn (BFM) underlines Umut's commitment to continuous learning and artistic evolution. Today, Umut continues to craft diverse human narratives that amplify the richness of diversity.
https://www.umutvedat.com/