Türkiye's first and only digital art festival, the "4th Istanbul Digital Art Festival", will take place from May 2-5, 2024. Themed “Search Reality” and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, it will be organized by Mezo Dijital and sponsored by PASHA Bank at the AKM. Hale Yıldırım, the Acting General Manager of PASHA Bank, shared details about the festival, which will feature "The Eye and I", a digital art piece by the French musician, composer, and music producer Jean Michel Jarre. The preview of this work was held in Milan, Italy, in March. Yıldırım said, “We are proud to be the main sponsor of this festival for four years, extending our financial synergy created in the Türkiye -Azerbaijan-Georgia triangle into an artistic dimension. In this era of accelerated digitalization, we are happy to connect international digital artworks with domestic ones for art enthusiasts.”
The concept of digital art, which became more prevalent with the digital revolution in the 90s, started to be known as "new media art" in the 2000s with the widespread use of new communication technologies like computers and the internet. Especially gaining momentum during the pandemic, digital art now captures a significant share of the global art market, valued at 50 billion dollars. PASHA Bank, operating in the Türkiye -Azerbaijan-Georgia triangle for nine years, continues to be the main sponsor of Türkiye 's first and only digital art festival since its inception, supporting artists in this burgeoning field. The 4th Istanbul Digital Art Festival, happening this year from May 2-5, will bring to life the theme of “Search Reality” under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, organized by Mezo Dijital with the main sponsorship of PASHA Bank at AKM. Hale Yıldırım, the Acting General Manager of PASHA Bank, shared insights about the festival, whose preview was held in Milan, Italy, in March. Yıldırım stated, “Since our establishment, PASHA Bank has always supported the arts. We have continued to be the main sponsor of the Istanbul Digital Art Festival, the first of its kind in Türkiye focusing on digital art, since its inception in 2021. We believe in the power of digital art. It enables artists to complete their work faster and more accurately. Artists can finish their projects quickly using digital art techniques and elevate their creations to a higher quality by combining both classic and digital art methods. Digital art also allows artists to easily convert their works into printed formats. This is why digital art continues to increase its share in the global art market, which is worth 50 billion dollars. We at PASHA Bank are thrilled to be the pioneers of digital art in Türkiye and to take the festival to an international level. This year, we took new steps for the festival by hosting its preview in Milan, one of the important centers of art.”
Jean Michel Jarre at the Istanbul Digital Art Festival!
Hale Yıldırım, emphasizing Türkiye 's significant emergence in digital art, stated, “With the digitalization of life recently gaining momentum, we have made it our mission to support digital art. Türkiye has made a significant breakthrough in this field. While many of our artists' NFT projects are making global waves, young artists' diverse digital artworks are also attracting considerable attention. Looking at the digital world, known as the Metaverse, digital art works are noteworthy, garnering around 13 million dollars. As digitalization in the art field is increasing day by day both in our country and worldwide, we stand by our artists with our support.” The festival aims to explore how digital art and virtual worlds interact with the concept of reality and how this interaction transforms human experience. Curated by Türkiye 's first artificial intelligence curator, Avind, along with Rahim Ünlü, Julie Walsh, Samed Karagöz, and Niyazi Erdoğan, the festival will showcase digital works from over 40 national and international artists. It will include children and youth workshops, panels, visual and auditory performances, and French musician, composer, and music producer Jean Michel Jarre is set to welcome festival visitors with his digital artwork "The Eye and I."