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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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AR:
When we talk about marketing: are you doing any marketing or public relations for your art work?

KE:
Yes. Well … if i see the opportunity, yes, I do but I am not chasing after journalists or art critics, no.

AR:
How important would you find marketing for your public relations, for your music production?

KE:
I do n[o]t find it important because … if we are talking about marketing we are talking about products. Now, we are in the business world. As soon as you mention the word marketing we are in business now. Ok, any business – there are products. If you see my music as product I do n[o]t think it [i]s a fast moving consumer good … like the detergents or the cigarettes which people consume without even knowing. And you have to know what you are looking for if you are shopping for my product. And those people are very few in numbers anyway, even in Europe. And there are very few in Turkey. So, there is no need for a merketing effort. I mean, what happens if I appear on public television? Yes, I was interviewed once by a radio station – the public radio. I do n[o]t think anybody listened to it or even if they listened to it they did not understand anything because … I mean, it [i]s quite absurd. I am not saying I am doing this incredibly intellectual wonderful music, I am not boasting about myself. It [i]s just: the type of music is not easily consumable so there is no point in marketing. Yes, I mean I could go to art publications and stuff and if they approach me, yes, I do n[o]t say: no. I am not trying to distance myself away from the marketing part but I am … you know, unlike some other artists who constantly talk about their projects, they talk more than they create, so I am not one of those, I think.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip16.mov

I do n[o]t have to make any money out of music and – I mean – there is not enough to make me live, I would not be able to survive. So, I think I see it this way: in order to feed my body I work as a consultant, you know to feed my brain I work as a musician.

http://www.datonet.at/kanonmedia/korhan_subclip15.mov

I suddenly found myself thinking about music even at work and this has lead me to resign in 2003, September. And I took a two year[s]-break from work and I focussed only on music. Of course, I had to do the military service as well because it is mandatory in Turkey but that was only six months and the other time I actually … I owe it to that period that I am doing all these projects right now because that period helped me focus on many things that helped me start several projects and dedicate time to them … because I was a full time musician. I was
n[o]t making any money but I had saved some money from previous work so I was sort of spending that. But then I ran out of money and I had to go back to work in 2006. … When I took the decision to go back to work I sort of reorganized my life and I decreased my expectations from art. I said, yes, I will have this many projects, I will have three things going on at the same time [on] which I can focus now. I have already done the foundation work for them anaway[s], so I will not have to work like crazy for them. And I want to take a fourth project. And I will have enough time for three projects and that [i]s it.