Posts by Emin Altun

Un-Art Project Closing Speech

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Everything starts with a story. I met via diabetes Adnan Baskan who I called ‘godfather’ and I got into act about disabilities. It is resulted with this project. My name is Emin Altun, her name is Elif Tepeören and our sign language translator is Arzu Senol. We are undergraduate in Yıldız Technical University our department ıs English Language Teaching.

Our project’s name is composed of two words: unite and art. It is called Un-Art. Our project’s starting date is 1 September 2016 and expiration date is 21 April 2017. Like Olshansky says pictures are our first words. So we believed that drawing and painting studies can rehabilitate individuals. In total 40 pieces of work were produced including basic drawing studies, paintings and puzzles tables of Istanbul’s silhouette. During the project we enhanced our research with  educative videos, trips, cinemas, rhythm courses. At end of the project, partıcıpants’ communication, abstract thinking, self expression and psychomotor skills are improved. According to Gesell Development and Bender Gestalt Tests, students’ fine motor muscles and psychomotor skills showed improvement about 26.8 percent. We achieved our goal that is support of wheelchair and under-pad. In the meantime, thanks to the project association’s annual lunches were provided.

In terms of the limitations, because of technical and attendance problems we couldn’t organise additional courses as part of project. With the equipments we bought we realised that people with disabilities can be educated and employed. In spite of our limitations about time and space we provided camera training for our next project.

For their supports, I express my gratitude to our presidents of association Alev Yorgancı and Adnan Saygılı, Enader family, Ups Turkey staff, Şişli Mayorship, our painting teacher Serpil Antep, teacher of mentally handıcapped Özlem Yıldız, my friends who are ın Foreign Language Department in YTU, our values and of course our faithful mothers. I’d like to finish my speech with a quote of Sartre: “Obedient child surrenders, incompatible child takes risk; obedient child reinforces, the other carry out experiments. Rebels preserve the world to continue to riot and potentials change the world.

Thank you…

Herşey hikayeyle başlar. Ben de diyabetle manevi babam dediğim Adnan Başkanla tanıştım ve engelliler alanında faaliyet göstermeye başladım, sonucunda böyle bir proje çıktı. İsmim Emin Altun, arkadaşım Elif Tepeören ve işaret dili tercümanımız Arzu Şenol. Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi ingilizce öğretmenliği lisans öğrencisiyiz. 

Projemizin ismi sponsor firmanın ilk harfiyle başlıyor birleştirmek anlamına gelen “unite” ve sanat anlamına gelen “art” kelimelerinin birleşimiyle un-art meydana geldi. Projemizin başlangıç tarihi 1 Eylül 2016 bitiş tarihi 21 Nisan 2017’dir. Olshansky’nin dediği gibi resimler bizim ilk kelimelerimizdir. Burdan yola çıkarak çizim ve resim çalışmalarının bireyleri rehabilite edebileceğine inandık. Temel çizim çalışmaları, tablo ve İstanbul silüetli yapboz tablo olarak aşamalı eğitimlerle toplamda 40 parça eserimiz ortaya çıktı. Proje boyunca eğitici videolar, gezi, sinema, ritim kursu gibi etkinliklerle araştırmamızı zenginleştirdik. Proje sonunda katılımcılarda iletişim, soyut düşünme, kendini ifade etme ve psikomotor becerileri gelişti. Gesell Gelişim ve Bender Gestalt test sonuçlarına göre de öğrencilerin ince motor kasları ve psikomotor becerilerindeki gelişimi 26,8% olarak tespit ettik. Hedeflediğimiz tekerlekli sandalye ve hasta bezi yardımını gerçekleştirdik. Aynı zamanda proje sayesinde derneğin 1 yıllık öğle yemeği ihtiyacı karşılanmıştır.

Sınırlılık başlığı altında teknik ve katılım problemlerinden dolayı proje içerisinde ek kurslar düzenleyemedik. Aldığımız ekipmanlarla medya alanında engellilerin de daha fazla olabileceğini ve eğitilip istihdam artırılabileceğini farkettik. İmkan ve zaman kısıtlılığımız olmasına rağmen bir sonraki projemiz için kamera eğitimleri verdik. 

Bu sürece desteklerinden dolayı dernek başkanlarım Alev Yorgancı ve Adnan Saygılı’ya, Enader ailesine, Ups Türkiye ekibine, şişli belediye başkanlığına, resim öğretmenimiz Serpil Antep’e, zihinsel engelliler öğretmenimiz Özlem Yıldız’a, YTÜ Yabancı Diller Eğitimi Bölümü’ndeki arkadaşlarıma, tüm değerlerimize ve tabii ki vefakar annelerimize teşekkürlerimi sunuyorum. Konuşmamı Sartre’ın sözüyle bitiriyorum: “Yumuşak başlı çocuk teslim olur, uyumsuz çocuk kendini tehlikeye atar; yumuşak başlı çocuk pekiştirir, diğeri deneyler yapar. Asiler dünyaya isyan etmeyi sürdürebilmek için onu aynı şekilde korur, potansiyeller ise dünyayı değiştirir. 

Teşekkürler…

UTOPIA Exhibition // Emre Ezelli

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Inaugurated on April 6, Utopia exhibition will last for fourteen days at -1 Gallery, Adahan Istanbul Hotel. Emre Ezelli, who graduated from fine arts faculty as a sculptor, reinterprets cave paintings in Mountain Beşparmak known as Latmos in ancient times with the rusty and metallic materials. His descriptive works are full of woman, family, fertility and human, not hunting, wildlife and violence as the earlier times (France Lacroix).

In this solo exhibition, there are few pieces from special collections like the tree of life. His aim with the work “Couples” is to illustrate the coherence of opposites and optical illusions. In the other room, the work “Community” will be waiting for you to describe the different types of worlds and the relationships between them. In the last room, a mini cave room from Latmos will welcome you. The entrance to the room is forbidden yet when you look into it, you feel a sense of being on time travel. The show is coherent with the mystical air of -1 Gallery. Dim lights of gallery gives the minimal statues chance to manifest themselves.

opening day
the most known cave room in Latmos
“Sürekli merakım intiharımı engelliyordu.”

All in all, here is my favorite sculpture. Stay tuned for my blog post about that!

Kıyıköy: Small and Peaceful Town in Black Sea

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Kıyıköy embraces you with the pure nature, warmblooded people and refreshing silence. With the red brick ramparts, stone and frame houses it is alike village in Middle Ages. Most of the people are Selanik immigrants and you feel like that you are home. Like Ağva, Kıyıköy is one of the villages that remain between two valleys. There are hostels, colourful camping sites, some groceries, a super market and restaurants that are making very special and regional home cooking.

Along the Pabuc River, it is possible to hire boat, pedalo or cano and enjoy this pure nature. In the night, as you carefully look the sky, you will see a pinch of Istanbul light. I think it is one of the best artefacts that people cause to be. Kıyıköy was an old port exported thrace wines to Europe. So, one of the greatest things is to sip your drink with roaring of wind at night.

The port is now not active for trading but the view is charming. When you start to walk down the hill, you relieve your tiredness. The sea is very rough most of the time. In terms of swimming, you should be careful for any occasion.

Kıyıköy Castle

Kıyıköy Castle was built in the period of Emperor Justinian I to protect the town. According to sayings, only after one burgess forgot the door open could enemies conquer the town.

Aşıklar Hill

To the hill, you can come by car or pedestrian. Some rest and watch the scene until the sunset!

Aya Nikola Monastery

The monastery built in 6th century is one of the oldest carved monasteries. Although there have been a volunteer guard for thirty years, the monastery is in need of professional restoration.

What to eat?

 In the fishing village, to taste the delicious kalkan fish will be very rational decision. It is really one of several recommended places in the region. Also, on the streets you can come across vows. It means that you will never want to eat the other yoghurts rather than vow yoghurt. Yet, the worst side of the town is leave this peaceful place!

Grammar Translation Method

Reading Time: < 1 minute

One of the most used and conventional method: Grammar Translation Method

Grammar Translation Method is a non-scientific method that appeared at the half of the 19th century with no practical theory. Leading experts of this method are Seidentücker, Plötz, Ollendorf and Meidinger.

In the method, the central focus is on grammatical system rather than communication. Also, it was used to teach the languages of Latin, Greek and was particularly vogue during the 16th century. As a result of politic changes, Latin was said to develop intellectual abilities and it lost it’s central importance both in spoken and written language.

Typical features of a GTM lesson:

  • mother tongue
  • teacher-centred
  • vocabulary taught through wordlists and translation
  • reading of literary passages even at low levels, with reading comprehension questions
  • practice based on translation of texts to and from MT
  • elaborate presentation of grammar rules
  • memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary
  • vocabulary exercises include antonyms and synonyms, definitions etc based on words in reading text
  • composition exercises based on topics from reading texts

Why Grammar Translation Method was rejected?

  • Increased opportunities for communication among the Europeans created a radical demand for speaking.
  • This created the need of market for conversation books and phrase books for private studies.
  • Also, language specialists turned their attention to the different way where language were taught in secondary schools, so increasingly public education system was seen to be falling.

An example lesson plan for GTM

Mini Japan Festival in Suma Han

Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor those who are keen on getting to know a different culture: Shuumatsu Mini Festival

Suma Space is organising a mini festival about Japan culture on 18 March and the festival lasts March 19, 12 pm. In festival, you could participate in some manga writers’ workshops. Especially, Su Tunc and Ali Toglukdemir are making workshops to give basic information about characteristics of manga and manga drawing. They are additionally answering your questions and problems.

Due to the additional promotions, it would be better to taste sushi here. You can visit vintage kimono and noodle booths with your drink. The booth attendants give permission to try their special products and kimonos. According to report of Tiny Co, they are using silk fabric that imported from Hawaii and foreign countries. DJ playing an incredibly wide variety of music styles, dance music are dominating the festival in Karaköy.

Suma Han has a charming and vintage atmosphere. I liked the building and light system although I have gone for the first time. Also, some famous writers, directors, artists lived and used it for their creativity process.

Here are some photos from the event;