Odeabank’s O’Art and Piksel Join Forces for Digital Art​

O’Art, Odeabank’s art platform that has supported art and artists since 2015, is making a significant leap into the realm of digital art. O’Art is collaborating with Piksel., one of the most important training and support programs contributing to digital art and supporting new media artists in Türkiye.

The collaboration aims to support the creation of new media art and enhance the visibility of digital artists and digital art. The platform Piksel. | O’Art will host a variety of training programs and support funds during the 2022–23 period.

Piksel. O’Art New Media Artist Residency Program:

First launched in 2020 with a team of world-renowned and experienced artists and industry professionals as educators and mentors, this year’s Piksel. The New Media Guest Artist program is set to expand its roster with more international artists, thanks to the support of O’Art. With the expansion of the program’s limited opportunities, a jury will select 10 artists aged 35 or younger who have graduated from or are currently enrolled in relevant university departments. During the intensive three-month program, these artists will receive valuable support, including scholarships, the chance to meet and collaborate with leading artists, curators, art professionals, and collectors from Türkiye and around the world, as well as the opportunity to exhibit their works.

Piksel. and O’Art Present a Masterclass in Digital Art

Open to all, the Masterclass sessions aim to provide free training on the software and hardware used in the production of new media art and to foster a communicative, productive, and collaborative new media art community in Türkiye. The Masterclass aims to train 140 participants across seven main areas: Cinema 4D, Motion Design with Adobe, Artificial Intelligence, Creative Coding, Houdini, TouchDesigner, and Unreal Engine.

Piksel. O’Art Talks for New Media Training

As part of the collaboration between O’Art and Piksel., a talk series will be organized to bring together program participants with both local and international art professionals and collectors. Unlike workshops, Piksel. O’Art Talks will feature a moderated conversation, allowing participants to ask questions and share comments. All 12 talks scheduled for the 2022–2023 period will be held in person and later made available online to the public.

Commenting on the collaboration, Odeabank CEO Mert Öncü said, “Established in 2016 to spearhead Odeabank’s art activities, O’Art has evolved into more than just a bank’s art brand; it now stands as an independent and well-established platform within the art world. Over the years, O’Art has launched and continues to support valuable projects aimed at fostering the creation of new art and the development of emerging artists. Growing in step with Odeabank’s innovative and dynamic vision, O’Art has recently prioritized supporting young artists in the fields of digital art and new media. This initiative reflects the integration of the phygital banking approach into the arts. We have prioritized providing sustainable support to young artists who aspire to work in the digital field and are driven by their dreams and visions. We believe that art and its creation methods are transforming alongside the world, evolving in tandem with technology. We recognize that young people need both education and technological support to create new art. That’s why we partnered with Piksel., a pioneer in its field with valuable training programs. Together, we are working to provide the necessary infrastructure and opportunities for young artists in new media art, supporting them with everything they need.”

Hande Şekerciler, co-founder of Piksel. | O’Art, remarked, “Piksel. was launched during the pandemic-imposed quarantine with the idea of providing online training to share our experiences with our young colleagues. Through the collaboration of esteemed artist friends and art professionals, along with the support of prominent collectors in Turkey, we have had the opportunity to touch the lives of dozens of artists and aspiring artists over the past two years. Piksel., which has been a truly unique experience for us, will now grow and thrive even more through its partnership with O’Art. We are confident that the artists who complete the program will successfully represent Turkish new media art on the global stage. We are eager to see what the future holds.”

Click the links below to view details and application criteria for the Piksel. O’Art New Media Training Program:

https://www.piksel.ist/

https://www.odeabank.com.tr/tr-TR/Hakkimizda/o-art/program/Sayfalar/piksel-oart.aspx

About O’Art:

Odeabank launched its art platform O’Art in 2015 with the goal of making all disciplines of art accessible to everyone. O’Art hosts valued contemporary artists and continues to create original works to add value to art and art enthusiasts. Since its establishment, the platform has been organizing periodic exhibitions featuring young and mid-career artists from Türkiye and around the world.

About Piksel.

Piksel. is a mentorship, training, support, and community-building program designed to educate young and aspiring artists from all fields of visual arts on the various types of digital art, production methods, underlying technologies, and creative processes. Ultimately, it aims to help them understand digital technology and integrate it into their workflows. Run by the artist duo ha:ar and Starting Point, a non-profit initiative by the Turkish Informatics Foundation (TBV), Piksel.'s main program is complemented by Piksel.Talks and Piksel.Masterclass.

About Odeabank:

Founded in 2012 with investment from Bank Audi Group, Odea Bank A.Ş. became the first bank to be granted a banking license after a 15-year period during which no new banking licenses were issued. As of June 2022, it operates in 16 provinces with 48 branches and a total of 1,083 employees. Odeabank is ranked 10th among Türkiye’s largest private deposit banks by asset size. Odeabank holds assets totaling 62.2 billion Turkish lira, with deposits of 43.2 billion Turkish lira, gross loans of 31.7 billion Turkish lira, and equity including supplementary capital amounting to 4.6 billion Turkish lira. As of August 2016, Bank Audi S.A.L. is the majority shareholder of Odea Bank A.Ş., joined by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as shareholders.