Loop: Where Sustainability, Art, and Technology Converge in Izmit

In a compelling blend of eco-conscious creativity and digital innovation, the city of Izmit is about to host Loop—a multidimensional art exhibition born from an extraordinary cross-cultural collaboration. Supported by the British Council’s Creative Collaborations Grant Programme, Loop emerges as the final chapter of the “Art for Sustainable Living” initiative, co-developed by the Sürdürülebilir Kadın Sanat Kooperatifi (SUSAKO) in Turkey and the UK-based C4CCI (Centre for Culture and Creative Industries).

Curated by Dr. Ayla Torun, founder of C4CCI and a leading academic in sustainable cultural practice, Loop is not just a show—it’s a dialogue. A dialogue between nature and technology, waste and wonder, community and expression.

Running from 26 March to 1 April 2025 at the historic Atatürk and National Struggle Memorial House in Izmit, the exhibition showcases the fruits of a six-month journey involving twelve women makers and six digital artists. Their creative process took root during a residency in December 2024, where participants transformed industrial waste into evocative artworks through upcycling and digital reinterpretation.

Each piece draws from the sounds and industrial textures of Izmit, reframed through video installations, digital soundscapes, prints, and virtual environments. The result is a deeply layered body of work that is as tactile as it is intangible.

The Artists Behind the Loop

Curator:
• Dr. Ayla Torun

Digital Artists:
• Alp Yüksel
• Ezgi Şen Atiker
• Gözde Betülay Yorulmaz
• Melisa Kılıç San Bento
• Özüm Naz Çelik
• Sema Özevin

Upcycling Artists:
• Aliye Güngör
• Büşra Bulut Doğan
• Fethiye Kulaksız
• Filiz Argun
• Filiz Altuğ Kaya
• Hanife Altınay
• Naciye Özdemir
• Nurhan Gündoğdu
• Saadet Uğuz
• Selma Erden

A highlight of the opening day will be a public panel at 5:30 PM titled “Digital Art, Sustainability, and Upcycling”, featuring esteemed speakers: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Safiye Başar (Kocaeli University), Dr. Ezgi Şen Atiker, and Dr. Ayla Torun.

Loop stands as a rare convergence of material reuse and digital expression—a timely response to our age of environmental urgency and artistic reinvention. And if you can’t make it in person, the exhibition will also be accessible online at c4cci.com.

Digital Artists