Cahit Ece

20 February, 2014Leave a comment

Since my last trip to Turkey I really wanted to master ebru (traditional paper marbling technique) and learn how to play ney – traditional wind instrument that is used in sufi music. Both of the courses turned out to be possible in Copenhagen, which made me immensely happy! In case you’re in Copenhagen and also would like to learn to play ney, kaval or duduk – please join the course at Dialog Forum, where Cahit Ece teaches.

I’ve been doing my best in taming kaval for about a year now. Kaval is one of the oldest music instruments on Earth, it is 6000 years old. I find it simply amazing! I’m still struggling to make my flute sound consistently, so I’ll spare your ears! But just to give you an idea – here you can see our duo: Asli Sena Kucukyildiz playing kaval and me on guitar

Recently our Danish language school introduced new extra subjects, which are more projects. And in one of them we were preparing an interview on a chosen topic, then recording it and actually vising the radio and participating in the process of editing the recorded files into the radio program.

I interviewed Cahit and got to know what brought him to Denmark, why he decided not to pursue his career as a lawyer, but rather be a musician. Cahit also talks about 3 different types of flutes: Armenian duduk, Persian ney and Turkish kaval. It is my pleasure to present Cahit and his world of music to you. And if you’re brave enough to listen to the interview in Danish – you can find it on the Den2Radio website. You should at least listen to Cahit playing his favorite instrument – duduk.

The Trumpet Story

22 April, 201322 April, 20132 Comments

Vor Frue Kirke – Københavns Domkirke | Good morning, Copenhagen!

Trumpet Solo at Sunrise

one simple story

and maybe not a story

and maybe not so simple

we’d like to tell about

we do remember it from childhood

and maybe not from childhood

and maybe even don’t remember

but will try to recollect

“Tomorrow morning you can see the sun rise over the rooftops of Copenhagen from the spire of Vor Frue Kirke. Be there at 06.30 and join for a walk up the stairs accompanied by a trumpet solo.” It was the Easter sunday morning. I was surprised to see that many people at this hour. But in a few moments it became self-evident why.

Awaiting the sunrise | Københavns Domkirke

It was an experience which doesn’t travel well with words or pictures, but I will do my best.

overview of Copenhagen towards City Hall side from the Københavns Domkirke

City Hall | Good morning, Copenhagen!

We were up in the bell tower with the wonderful view over Copenhagen. Waiting for the sun to rise. At the very tip of it the trumpet played a tune and people lit the candles. They sang a carol and let the moment sink in. On our way down, we noticed a couple that the guard just left standing there. He was making a proposal and she didn’t know. The guard had promised to the man that he could have the spire and the sunrise just for themselves.

overview of Copenhagen towards the Baltic Sea with the bridge to Malmo, Sweden

The Sunrise | Good morning, Copenhagen!

“will you …” | Good morning, Copenhagen!

a dog covered with snow crossing the road on a crosswalk

CPH: personal

23 March, 201319 May, 2016Leave a comment

With our Copenhagen based photo collective we decided to have a two week photo project: “A personal view on Copenhagen”. It was inspired by the preview of a project by Michał Kwapisiewicz.

It was very interesting to see what people came up with as their take on the brief. The idea was to have some fresh work. During those two weeks many things were in transition for me and I think my final selection for this mini project reflects it. I didn’t really conceptualized my take on the brief. These are more or less snap shots from my daily life in Copenhagen at the moment. Most of the photographs are taken on my way to the Danish class or explorations of the neighborhood I currently live in, Norrebro. You’ll see quite a few cranes since the city is constructing or reconstructing many sites at the moment. These cranes become part of the cityscape. I wonder what are those internal cranes that currently work on my personal reconstruction…

When I was going through the photographs I took in those two weeks, I was listening to some music by Ósk. I felt like they go together very well and put together the slideshow with the final selects. Þorbjörg Ósk generously gave her permission to use one of her songs for it.

exploring reflections

22 March, 2013Leave a comment

kids look out at the sunset from the Copenhagen Royal Theater restaurant with the cityscape reflecting in the big glass of the restaurant

Inspired by Street Photography Now Community instruction # 08
“Show beauty where apparently there is none.” – Guido Steenkamp

my A-side for the brief

Inspired by Street Photography Now Community instruction # 08
“Show beauty where apparently there is none.” – Guido Steenkamp

my B-side, which some people from the community liked more than my selection for the A-side. I can never decide actually… and always wonder what would happen if I’d enter the other one instead?

Modern art

2 March, 20132 March, 2013Leave a comment

Jette Gejl and Bjorn Godwin: 15m3 at the Den Frie Center of Contemporary Art | Copenhagen, Denmark

Modern art:

Reflections on the 15m3 installation by Jette Gejl and Bjorn Godwin at the Den Frie Center of Contemporary Art

Modern art is not really self explanatory.. You really need to know the context of what was happening – at the exhibit we only see the result of a thought process and in order to appreciate it we need to get into the narrative that was accompanying the artist in the act of producing his/her art pieces..

What was the starting point? How was it evolving in-between? What were the alternatives?.. The whole decision-making process is hidden from the viewer – we only get the final result, which would have probably made sense if we’d known all the intermediate steps that had lead to it, the full tree of decisions.. However, we’re left to wonder about the final result of this tedious thought process and all the reductions in-between. I’m usually extremely puzzled and have no idea ..

If you’re lucky to attend the artist talk – then many things fall into their places.. Otherwise it remains as a random object rather than art.. Out of context… Yet another bubble..

If there is no one to tell that this sand came from Australia and it is supposed to explore the role of art in the climate change debate by stating how much tons of carbon emissions it has produced by bringing it all the way to Denmark.. If there is no one to tell you this, the red sand remains just the red sand on the floor of a room…

However, even knowing all of the above, it doesn’t really help in overcoming the amotivation in the environmental behaviors in my opinion. Somehow just giving the information about those issues, even in the artistic form about the overuse of the natural resources and pollution that we all jointly create, unfortunately will not lead to taking any constructive actions something that would lead to change, at the best it will make people wonder for some time.

I think if the artist would sort of follow up on the people who came to view the exhibit it can bring the concept even further. Just a small question to ask: “Now that you know this, what are you going to do about it?”, “If you do care for these issues, what could you do as an individual to contribute to the overall change?”

I believe that all the big changes happen due to small individual acts combined together..

15m3 is part of the 5 Solo exhibition at the Den Frie Center of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is on display from 2 March till 31 March, 2013.

on a crosswalk | Copenhagen

22 February, 2013Leave a comment

Street poetry

22 February, 2013Leave a comment

Inspired by Street Photography Now Community instruction #06: “Try to find the poetry. Tell an emotionally interesting story.” – Chema Hernandez

my A-side for the brief

mother and child on a bike ride by the lake towards the sun; the child spreads his arms to the sides almost like flying

Inspired by Street Photography Now Community instruction #06:
“Try to find the poetry. Tell an emotionally interesting story.” – Chema Hernandez

my B-side for the brief

People figures, siluettes in contrasting sun light in Amager park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Particiapnts of the photowalk event organized through CouchSurfing.

Photography and visual arts group startup

16 January, 201316 January, 2013Leave a comment

I will quote Scott Urquhart’s message on CouchSurfing forum about our joint venture that will start this Saturday, January 19th. If you’re a photographer based in Copenhagen and this idea sounds appealing for you – we will be happy to see you!

A friend and I are starting a group with the aim to meet on a regular basis to inspire each other with photography and other visual arts projects. Some of the initial ideas for regular activities would be:

-peer review/feedback on work
-discuss (art-)photography books and other publications
– watch documentaries together
– any other ideas that might give creative inspiration and help develop projects

If anyone would like to be involved, we are having an initial planning meeting this coming Saturday (19th Jan) and would love to have you come along. The details of the meeting are:

Saturday 19th Jan
13.00 – 15.00

Cafe at Støberiet
Blågårds Plads 3, 2.sal og 3.sal
Norrebro

If you think you might drop by, it would be good to send me a message, but also fine if you just show up. Hope to see you !

Cheers!
Scott and Anna

The idea came up on the photowalk, organized by another couchsurfer and photography enthusiast on December 1st in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a wonderful day, but I still didn’t had the time to create a comprehensive gallery from that event. The image of the winter bathing club and this reflection in the windows are from that walk.

man’s best friend | Copenhagen metro

11 January, 2013Leave a comment

Inspired by Street Photography Now Community instruction #05: “An age old relationship exists between the human and canine. Show the influence of the dog on our lives.” – Shane Gray