http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip26.mov

AR:
[Do] you think it makes a difference in your art or for your art, for your output whether you have a so to say rich or well embedded setting, economic setting, or whether you have to strive for life conditions under which you are able to produce art?

KE:
I do n[o]t know … I mean, I know that being rich does n[o]t necessarily make you …, make better art but I think the opposite is also true: being poor does n[o]t make you necessarily a good artist. I mean, … yes, striving for something maybe makes your art more valuable but not in an artistic way. But I mean, I do n[o]t know, … I was never rich so I can[no]t know how my art would sound if I were rich. But I was also never poor, either. I am a middle class guy, I always had enough money to make music - just enough, right. So I guess I am not the right person to ask that. But if you go [and] ask a person who has strived a lot to - you know - make money to create the right environment of course that person will tell you that it has made, that it made a big difference on him and that rich kids make worse art than him. Most probably, he will tell you that because he has worked so much on that that he will be defensive about it - most probably. So, it [i]s difficult to get an objective answer on that.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip25.mov

Most Turkish artists who are doing contemporary stuff try to actually go abroad and work, and this for a temporary period [be]cause there is … We were talking about, you know, the settings, the environment to work in - Turkey does n[o]t give you that unless you have money, like there are many artists in Istanbul who are children of rich families.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip24.mov

AR:
It sounds like some sort of public relation business.

KE:
I guess so …

AR:
I suppose, maybe …[it is meant to ...,] it raises the international image and flair of Istanbul.

KE:
[Yes], I mean, I am not saying that they are useless. They still have an important mission. They are organizing some of the major festivals in Istanbul and some of them are good - like the theater festival is good and the music festival is also not bad. But still, the way the approach Turkish artists - I do n[o]t approve that.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip23.mov

AR:
Are there any cultural forces [st]riving for establishment of such grant infrastructure?

KE:
I did n[o]t understand the question.

AR:
Sorry, I was too complicated. Are there any cultural politicians or even artists working in the field of culture politics?

KE:
I do n[o]t think so. I do n[o]t think the Turkish government has any politics regarding art. They do n[o]t have any policies, I do n[o]t think so. Yes, I am sure they have policies regarding the traditional arts - you know, the folk dancing and bla bla bla, but not for modern, no. It [i]s all in the hands of … the private sector.

AR:
Are companies interested in contemporary art?

KE:
Yes, yes, there a few banks who are doing nice things. And there is a foundation, it [i]s called - what [i]s the English [name] …? - Istanbul Foundation of Culture and Art. But … recently they have become a sort of monopoly and they do n[o]t really support Turkish art. They pay incredible amounts of money to musicians, like they host Simply Red in the jazz festival which has nothing to do with jazz. And they pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to them and they do n[o]t pay anything to Turkish musicians. So, I do n[o]t see them as supporting art any more. I see them as a business. They are actually sponsored or basically owned by a large group of companies and so I do n[o]t take them seriously any more. They used to have a mission but now they do n[o]t. I do n[o]t see them.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip22.mov

AR:
And if we are talking about the framework in Turkey: you said there are no grants. No grants at all?

KE:
No. No, at least for music there are … [none]. Yes, I think sometimes you can get residencies for fine arts but not for music, as far as I know. If there are, I am not aware of them.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip21.mov

As long as they do n[o]t dictate anything on me as far as on the creative process if they [do not] tell me you have to …, your artwork should be on this it [i]s ok. Then they buy me, they are buying my art. It [i]s - I think - two different things.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip20.mov

AR:
What [i]s your attitude towards grants or towards collectors buying your work? [Do] you find this a good way to finance artists’ costs of living or project costs? What would you think?

KE:
Well, as long as you are not trying to create works that collectors would like to buy I think it [i]s ok. If you are just being sincere with your work and not manipulate it, not change it so it [i]s more likeable by collectors or grants then it [i]s ok. If the collectors actually see your work that you have created for yourself maybe and by yourself and not thinking about whether it can be sold or not and if the collector likes it and he is free to buy it I do n[o]t mind.

I mean …, that does n[o]t really apply to me because you can[no]t sell music like that. It more applies to - you know - fine arts, I think, like paintings, sculpture and stuff. Music - I mean, you can sell it to a publisher like a label, record label, [yes], if they like it …, [yes], in order to bring out albums you have to do that. But we never try to taylor our sounds towards a certain record label. We do n[o]t listen to them and they can[no]t dictate anything on us. If we do n[o]t bring out an album that [i]s fine. We just want to do the music we like.

And about grants: that does n[o]t exist in Turkey anyways, so I never gave a serious thought about it. But I know it [i]s the way of living for many artists in Europe and I know most artists make a living out of grants or scholarships or residencies. I have done a few residencies in Europe but I did n[o]t make any money out of them. They just paid my costs and stuff. But [yes], I would n[o]t mind, actually, why not?