ctrl_alt_del

SOUND ART FESTIVAL

Istanbul-Maastricht, 2003
Istanbul 2005-2007

The project ctrl_alt_del was a pioneering and multi layered sound art initiative that played a crucial role in introducing and shaping sound art practices in Turkey in the early 2000s. Developed by Basak Senova, Erhan Muratoglu, and Emre Erkal, and organised by NOMAD, the project unfolded across three major iterations between 2003 and 2008. Conceived as both a festival and a research platform, ctrl_alt_del brought together performances, exhibitions, workshops, panels, publications, and audio releases, while establishing an international network that connected local production with global experimental sound practices.

The first edition in 2003 was the first sound art festival realised in Turkey and was developed in collaboration with NOMAD, Marres (Maastricht), Hedah, and the Istanbul Technical University Center for Advanced Musical Studies (MIAM). Taking place in Istanbul and Maastricht throughout September, it included an introductory presentation, CD launch, performances, panels, workshops, an exhibition, and the production and international distribution of a CD and CD ROM. The project aimed to introduce sound art to Turkey through direct engagement with pioneering figures in the field. More than 30 participants from 16 countries contributed, forming a dense transnational network that connected experimental music, media art, and critical discourse.

The participants of the 2003 edition included a wide range of influential artists and contributors working across experimental sound and electronic music. Among them were Kim Cascone, Matt Wand, Merzbow, Scanner, Paul Devens, 2/5 BZ, Nathalie Bruys, Hassan Khan, Jozef Cseres, Kippi Kaninus, Anabala, Michel Waisvisz, Zafer Aracagök, Telco Systems, Erdem Helvacıoğlu, and ROR (Revolutions on Request). Additional contributors and collaborators included Emre Erkal, Rahma Khazam, Cevdet Erek, Pieter Snapper, Murat Ertel, Ceren Oykut, Masami Akita, Ivan Kamenický, Tomáš Hnilický, Marco Roininen, Gudmundur Vignir Karlsson, and Serhat Köksal. The programme spanned performances at Babylon in Istanbul by artists such as Kim Cascone, Scanner, Paul Devens, Matt Wand, and Merzbow, as well as presentations, workshops, and panels at Istanbul Technical University and events at Marres in Maastricht, where figures such as Michel Waisvisz, Zafer Aracagök, Kippi Kaninus, and Telco Systems also performed. In addition, the 2003 edition included a substantial solo exhibition, featuring ROR – Revolutions on Request (Finland), curated by Basak Senova at Marres, further expanding the project’s visual and conceptual scope.

In 2005, ctrl_alt_del expanded significantly and was presented within the “positionings” section of the 9th International Istanbul Biennial. Taking place between 16 and 22 September 2005, the project activated multiple sites, including Balans Music Hall, the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, and the MIAM facilities at Istanbul Technical University. The programme was developed by Başak Şenova, Emre Erkal, Erhan Muratoğlu, Pieter Snapper, and Paul Devens, with Can Karadoğan coordinating logistics and Nusin Odelli responsible for editing printed materials. This edition marked a shift towards a more complex curatorial structure and a broader integration with urban space and institutional frameworks.

The conceptual framework of the 2005 edition was structured around three interrelated themes: “the city”, “noise”, and “open source”. These themes were explored through performances, sonic mapping, workshops, presentations, and a boat tour programme across the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. The city was approached as an acoustic and spatial environment, noise as both aesthetic material and critical strategy, and open source as a methodological and political approach to collaborative production. The project engaged 57 participants from 12 countries and further consolidated its role as a platform for interdisciplinary experimentation and international exchange.

The participant list of the 2005 edition reflects its extensive international scope. Contributors included Zafer Aracagök (SFR), Şakir Oğuz Büyükberber, DJ Selim Cenkel, Banu Cennetoğlu, Eyal Danon, Paul Devens, Antonio Dimitrov (every kid on speed), Galia Dimitrova, Ibrahim Eid, Emre Erkal, Tal Hadad, Boris Hegenbart, Robert van Heumen, Petko Dourmana, Can Karadoğan, Uri Katzenstein, Sarp Keskiner, REC (including Orçun Baştürk, Liz Fando, Tonguç Gökalp, Randıman Kakara, Saska), Reuben de Lautour, the MIAM group (Kerem Aksoy, Deniz Arat, Barkın Engin, Erdem Helvacıoğlu, Burak Tamer, Tolga Tüzün, Murat Yakın), Phillipp Misselwitz, Wissam Murad, Erhan Muratoğlu, DJ Negma, Klaus Obermeyer, Matthieu Prat, Florian Schneider, Wassim Qassis, Binya Reches, Ran Slavin, Başak Şenova, Pieter Snapper, Can Türkinan, and open call participants Muni Monde, Özdemir Bayrak, Kerem Güzel, Koray Kantarcıoğlu, and Solar Duo.

Institutionally, the 2005 project was supported by a wide network of organisations, including NOMAD Project Channel, Istanbul Technical University MIAM, Bahçeşehir University, Goethe Institut Istanbul, Mondriaan Foundation, Consulate General of the Netherlands, MOAB Foundation Amsterdam, Radio Helsinki Graz, EKW 14.90, Israel National Lottery Council for the Arts, Israeli Center for Digital Art Holon, STEIM, Interspace Sofia, Sabreen Studio, Ford Foundation Middle East and North Africa, Kadir Has University, REC Magazine, Bant Magazine, e tasarım, Senkron Publishing, and Başkaşeyler Music Art Organization. This institutional constellation enabled the project’s scale, mobility, and interdisciplinary reach.

By 2007–2008, ctrl_alt_del evolved into a long-term, process-oriented project extending over eight months, beginning in September 2007 in parallel with the 10th International Istanbul Biennial. Organised by NOMAD in collaboration with Istanbul Technical University MIAM and Kadir Has University, the programme included an opening concert, live performance series, workshops, panels, presentations, open call projects, field studies, exhibitions, radio programmes, publications, and a CD release. The conceptual framework for this phase was articulated through the notion of “remote orienteering”, which addressed questions of navigation, positioning, and control within interconnected social, political, and technological systems.

The development team for the 2007–2008 edition consisted of Başak Şenova, Eran Sachs, Erhan Muratoğlu, Emre Erkal, Paul Devens, and Can Karadoğan. The opening event on 9 September 2007 at garajistanbul featured performances by Paul Devens, Eran Sachs, and Anabala, alongside DJ sets by Reuben De Latour, Saska RR, and Bant DJ set. The project also included a jury for the open call composed of Georg Dietzler, Paul Devens, Murat Ertel, Hassan Khan, Scanner, Eran Sachs, Pieter Snapper, Can Karadoğan, Emre Erkal, Erhan Muratoğlu, and Başak Şenova. Additional performances later in the programme, such as the event on 4 December 2007, featured Ruben Nachtergaele, Ceren Oykut, Boris Hug, Erdem Helvacıoğlu, Davide Swarup, as well as DJ sets by Reuben De Latour and Elif İzbirak.

Conceptually, “remote orienteering” marked a shift from the earlier focus on sound as a medium towards sound as a tool for navigating complex, networked environments. It proposed an understanding of geography not as fixed territory but as a dynamic and distributed field shaped by digital communication, social relations, and cultural production. The project explored how sound could function as a mapping device, generating alternative forms of spatial awareness and critical engagement. Through the last edition, ctrl_alt_del transformed from a festival into an extended research platform, maintaining its commitment to experimentation, collaboration, and the redefinition of artistic and cultural geographies.