BAGERAKBAY.COM / MY WORK / STORIES & ARCHIVE

Bager Akbay

Artist · Designer · Educator

· Türkçe

Press kit

About my work

I am Bager Akbay, an artist, designer and educator born in Istanbul in 1976. I work across art, design and education, with technology connecting these parts of my life. Programming, mathematics, theatre, games and learning environments have all been part of that work. This is my account of the projects I have made, the people I have worked with and the places where I have taught and learned.

I sometimes think of my art as depicting the systems and transformations I see around me. Instead of making a picture of them, I build interactive systems and put them into the world. I often write the software myself because making the system is also how I understand the idea. In Artificial Stupidity we changed human perception; in I am an artist a visitor could save an image and become its artist; with Robot Poet Deniz Yılmaz I asked how I could design a robot while making as few decisions for it as possible.

When I began working on Deniz Yılmaz, my daughter was five. We were thinking about what it meant for her to become herself. During the day I was involved in establishing a Başka Bir Okul Mümkün cooperative; at night I worked on the robot. The question was personal: if I designed it, how could I leave room for it to be itself? Later, The Shepherd distributed the work of making an exhibition among people who did not know one another. Mahlas was an attempt to make that approach more general. Some story-writing prototypes worked, but much of the proposed system stayed on paper.

Design is another part of my practice. I have made websites, CD-ROMs, games, kiosks, electronics and interactive installations; worked on characters such as Aypera and Avind; and developed projects such as the smell-literacy kit Olfabe. Sometimes I lead a project from its idea through the team and implementation. Sometimes I write software, supervise a technical installation or help a team think through its strategy. I describe those roles with each project, including my contributions to other artists' work.

My work as an educator includes university teaching, workshops, mentoring student productions and building learning programs. I founded academic programs at Plato and Plato Media Lab, co-founded İskele47, and started its CoderDojo with a community of mentors and participants.

My own education is described separately from my teaching. I completed my bachelor’s degree at Yıldız Technical University; my subsequent postgraduate studies, including Interface Cultures in Linz, remained unfinished. I also worked as an actor and puppeteer.

As of October 2026, I advise Paribu Studio on strategy and cultural production and contribute to Istanbul Modern's Stüdyo STEAM learning environment. I make Sanat Sohbetleri with İlker Canikligil on FLU TV. Rassal Yürüyüş, my joint series with Tevfik Uyar, is paused. My periodic university courses are not currently running. The details below include finished projects and past responsibilities as well as work that continues.

I put this archive together from my recollections, old CVs, project documents, correspondence and published material. Where I cannot remember an exact date or detail, I say so. The interviews, texts and recordings linked here let you hear these ideas in their original context. Older accounts reflect the time they were made; my descriptions here also record what happened afterwards.

This English account is adapted from my explanations and documents. It is not a transcript. Approximate dates and gaps in my recollection are indicated in the entries.

Interviews and conversations

Dijital Sanatta Şimdi

Online conversation; date not established here · Akbank Sanat

I was a guest in the fifth conversation of this series. The program introduces my work through research as an art practice and links to the publisher’s video channel. I have linked the program page here; this entry does not stand for a review of the full recording.

Art projects and collaborative works

Artificial Stupidity

2010 · Co-creator

I made Artificial Stupidity with Ana Čigon and Vasja Progar. Rather than making a machine imitate intelligence, we altered human perception and bodily coordination to explore errors resembling those of computers. Vesela Mihaylova, Myrssini Antoniou and Markos Vogiatzoglou also collaborated. Big Head, Flip and No Ground reached working versions; the early mirrored Big Head prototype failed before we moved to a digital system. We completed the project in 2010.

I am an artist

2012 · Artist and programmer

I wrote a program that generated random images and deleted them after about four seconds. A visitor could press the red I am an artist button to save an image. The program then asked for the artwork's title and the artist's name: the person became its artist by choosing it, a little like a photographer. I wrote the generator from scratch. This mode used random generation; my related evolutionary experiments were a different part of the research. We planned an exhibition of the saved images, but it never opened.

Robot Şair Deniz Yılmaz / Robot Poet Deniz Yılmaz

2014–2022 (physical project) · Artist and developer

I designed Deniz Yılmaz around a principle of making as few decisions for it as possible. Its name combines a common gender-neutral given name with a common surname; its face averages portraits from Posta's poetry pages. I tried different language corpora before using a selection of about 12,000 poems from antoloji.com. The program reads precomputed word-transition data and writes poems, then produces G-code for a drawing machine. I published my code, but left out the poetry data because it included other people's copyrighted writing. A fan community decided how Deniz's income and activities would be managed; it was a community, not a formally established foundation. In 2022, damage at a fair left the physical robot unable to work. We accepted that it had died instead of making a replacement. As of October 2026, the complete, non-working robot is in Istanbul Modern's education setting. A conversation about Deniz Yılmaz is included in Technological Arts Preservation (2021). At Borusan Contemporary in December 2017, Deniz Yılmaz was recognized as a speaker and received an artist fee.

Çoban / The Shepherd

2016 · Artist; designer and manual operator of the organizational system

I began with a sentence committing to an exhibition at Studio-X. Its team chose the home-related title and theme. People recruited online planned, criticized, revised and produced the exhibition. I routed their messages through a fictional character, Sabiha Akman, usually passing the work on without reading its contents in detail. People made the decisions and reviewed one another's work; I operated the communication manually. On 17 June 2016 I explained the process by email to the workers and applicant artists. The description from that time records a team of 35 and about 30 artist applications. I presented the process at BLOK art space on 15 July. Later, the correspondence and documents were shown at the Istanbul Design Biennial with personal information concealed. Çoban ran once and became a practical starting point for Mahlas. The biennial text describes a proposed automated system. In the actual exhibition process I manually routed work between people, who made the substantive decisions.

Mahlas

Late 2010s–approximately 2021 · Project initiator; collaborative research and development

With Mahlas I wanted to turn The Shepherd's exhibition-specific process into a general framework for organizing work and decisions. We made a few short-story-writing prototypes. Much of the workflow, decision-making and Sentence Executor design remained theoretical. I returned to it intermittently for four or five years. Özgür Fırat Çınar, Orhan Kavrakoğlu and Yavuzhan Karayiğit worked with me. Their emphases were DevOps, programming and workflow management, but we all contributed across roles. The work stopped around 2021.

Öğretirken Öğretmek / LearnAsYouTeach

2014 · Collaborative concept development and programming

I contributed concept development and code to this interactive installation with Nohlab and Osman Koç. Its published credits name me, Candaş Şişman and Osman Koç. The system measured how long people looked at photographs and used their responses to choose subsequent images. Looking at the work also taught it. It was shown at Istanbul Modern in the Vitra Contemporary Architects series.

Robot painting projects

Robot Painter — acrylic painting with xArm

Shown at WIN EURASIA, 28–31 May 2025 · Robot and system development

I developed a six-axis xArm system that applies acrylic paint to paper. For a supplied word, AI generates an image; the image is converted into vectors and then G-code, which drives the physical painting process. Robot Painter is a descriptive title. The fair dates identify its presentation, rather than its starting date.

Design, software and professional projects

Olfabe

Research from April 2023; production March 2024 · Project lead: concept, team formation and system development

I developed Olfabe as a smell-literacy kit with Eyüp Sabri Tuncer. I took responsibility for its idea, team and system. We produced 1,000 kits for teachers and workshop facilitators, with games for noticing, comparing, describing and naming smells. The kit has ten games and 34 scents. Deniz İkizler worked on project development, Uğur Acil on visual language, Cansu Yalçıner Kerpiççi on educational design and Alper Kerpiççi on research and educational implementation. Âsude Alkaylı was also part of the team. This version is complete; we have discussed a smaller one.

Aypera

Presented publicly in 2021; my involvement completed · Collaborative design; persona, strategy and AI integration

I developed Aypera with Tevfik Uyar and Zeynep Nal Sezer as a design project. I focused on its persona, social-media role, overall strategy and AI integrations. Zeynep concentrated more on technical production, including deepfake and motion capture, and Tevfik on communication. We shared technical and strategic work and received additional modeling support. We later handed the project over to Birol Güven. My involvement has ended.

Avind

2022 festival context · Creator of the festival avatar

I made Avind, an AI-generated speaking character, for the Istanbul Digital Art Festival. My work was the festival avatar, alongside my earlier advisory contribution to the festival. The character was presented publicly as an AI curator. I describe what I made as a speaking digital character; I did not build an autonomous system for managing an entire exhibition. This project is finished.

Atatürk’ün En Seveceği Şarkılar / The Songs Atatürk Would Love

2023 · Project strategy, overall structure, team formation and documentary narration

For this Şişecam project, I shaped the implementation strategy, assembled the team and narrated the film. Zeynep Nal Sezer wrote the software; Cem Say and Serhan Bali advised us. We compared music associated with Atatürk's preferences with a wider song collection. The published credits list Şişecam as project owner, Lokal for the idea, me for implementation and Zeynep for coding.

Bir Başka Şair / Another Poet

Exact date not yet added · Project lead and concept; collaborative development

I developed a separate poetry-writing robot for a Ford advertising project. Orhan Kavrakoğlu wrote the Python adaptation and made a substantial software contribution. I worked out the adaptation approach, and together we developed a romance measure by comparing word frequencies in romance novels with other novels. Positive and negative word weights helped steer the poems. I would need to revisit the code to explain exactly where those weights entered the generation process.

Audi Urban Future Initiative: exhibition movement visualization

Approximately 2012–2013 · Overall concept, software and implementation

I built a system to show how people moved through an exhibition. Overhead cameras supplied images for difference-based tracking; we turned the results into heatmaps and daily spatial-density analyses. I decided the approach, wrote the software and carried out the implementation, with technical support from two or three students.

Nike Barcelona Experience Lounge / Fast Lab

2019 · Software development and on-site supervision; treadmill integration

With Design in Situ, I wrote the software and supervised the on-site implementation of this running experience at the Barcelona Marathon Expo. I also modified the treadmills and integrated them into the interactive system. Eight treadmills supported a challenge based on maintaining a running speed.

Nike Milan Experience Lounge

Exact date not yet added · Software development and on-site supervision; treadmill integration

I worked with Design in Situ on the software and on-site implementation, including modification and integration of the treadmills. The experience brought together an interactive projected floor and treadmill games.

Dove interactive experience

Exact campaign title and date not yet added · Smile-detection software, on-site supervision and technical supervision

I made the smile-detection software and provided on-site and technical supervision for a Dove experience with Design in Situ. I do not remember the campaign title precisely enough to name it here.

Istanbul Modern: Art Maker Lab

Program recorded from 2018; before Stüdyo STEAM · Software and hardware production; learning-experience design

I developed the software and hardware for Art Maker Lab, working with Neslihan Varol on the museum side. The Do Robots Make Art? learning center offered five experiences for children aged 7–15: Art by Chance, Snapshot, Instant Me, Growing Game Platform and Magic Book. My later Stüdyo STEAM work grew out of this experience.

Websites, CD-ROMs, kiosks and simulations

Web work approximately 1996–2005; interactive media particularly 2000–2006 · Design, software and multimedia production

In these jobs I often did the whole range: programming, design, editing, video editing, 3D modeling, game design and graphic design. I used Macromedia Director and Lingo extensively. For kiosks and educational simulations I handled software, design and strategy. I remember pharmaceutical work largely through simulations, but cannot yet match every old brand name to a particular job or agency.

Abdi İbrahim — sixth sustainability report visuals

Report published March 2024; reporting period 2021–2022 · AI-assisted visual production with a team

Abdi İbrahim’s press release credits my team and me with AI-assisted digital works for its sixth sustainability report. The report covers 2021–2022, while the release is from March 2024. The detailed division of production roles is not yet recorded here.

Consultancy and strategy

Paribu Studio

Ongoing as of October 2026 · Strategy consultant

I advise the Paribu Studio team on strategy, artist relationships, knowledge production and cultural production around its digital venue. Before this role I was on Paribu Art's advisory board during its establishment.

Istanbul Modern: Stüdyo STEAM

Ongoing as of October 2026 · Program and learning-environment consultant

I help with artist selection, adapting works to the learning setting, the program's structure and the arrangement of its space. I also take part as an artist in Words and Algorithms, which I describe separately below.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

Approximately 1½–2 years; exact dates unresolved · Relocation, research and brand-strategy consultancy

I worked with Murat Güllü and Âsude Alkaylı during Karaköy Güllüoğlu's move. I interviewed 70 people, worked on the Baklava Alayı idea and developed the content for a periodic table of baklava varieties; others made its visual design. We worked on practical relocation problems and brand strategy, including the Nadir brand, later the Nadir Gastronomi platform. This consultancy has ended.

Creative and strategic consultancy for agencies

Periodic engagements · Hourly consultant

Agencies sometimes invite me to work through an idea with them, often for projects they hope might receive awards. We brainstorm what the project could become, how to approach it and who might help make it.

Tohum Otizm Vakfı: Farklı Bir Okul / A Different School

I am rechecking the project year · Concept-development guidance and pedagogical consultancy

I guided the concept and pedagogical suitability of a project recreating Tohum's school in Minecraft. I remember it in relation to the pandemic period, but the chronology needs another check against the project material. The agency's film credits me as Educational Consultant.

Küme Foundation

Exact period not yet added · Strategy consultancy

I worked with Küme Foundation on strategy. The scope and dates of this work will be expanded separately.

Contributions to other artists’ projects

Atrofi 1: İsimler Evi / House of Names

2008 · Programming and initial live implementation

For Ayrin Ersöz's performance, İrfan Kaya and I wrote the code together. I carried out the first live implementation; Gülfem Erdoğan continued the later implementations.

TomatoWars — Valise Jaune Collective

2010 · Acting

My contribution to this collective interactive installation was acting. The project involved Myrssini Antoniou, Florian Weil and Markos Vogiatzoglou.

Deep Space Music

1–3 September 2012 · Technical supervision, live visuals and programming

I worked on technical supervision, programming and live visuals for this Ars Electronica performance with pianist Maki Namekawa. Nohlab's Candaş Şişman and Deniz Kader provided art direction. The visuals and programming team also included Osman Koç, Zeynep Nal, Kaan Kaner and İsmail Kaşarcı. Monolab’s account documents the gala on 3 September 2012 and lists Zeynep Nal, Osman Koç and me in the technical team.

Scriabin House

25 December 2013 opening · Installation and technical supervision

I worked on installation and technical supervision for the opening performance at Scriabin House in Moscow, with Nohlab, Osman Koç and pianist Andrey Korobeinikov.

Taksimsenin / FAXEET Tweet Machine

Exact date not yet added · Software and hardware setup

I wrote software and set up hardware to print tweets matching a hashtag through a fax machine. Monolab's page documents #taksimsenin and the Herkes İçin Mimarlık stand at the Istanbul Design Biennial.

University teaching

Yıldız Technical University

2005–2008 · Full-time lecturer, Communication Design and Multimedia

I taught full-time in Communication Design and Multimedia while serving as Acting Head of the Informatics Department. I also worked on e-learning coordination and projects. My courses included Virtual Environment Design, E-Media and Marketing, Design Theories, Introduction to Computer Graphics, Modern Design Concepts and Advanced Computer Graphics.

Academic administration and program founding

Beykent University

1 October 2008–7 July 2009 · Part-time lecturer

I taught 3D Design, Programming and Graphic Design at Beykent.

Bahçeşehir University

2008–2016 · Part-time lecturer

I taught courses including Multimedia Applications (POV3211, 2015) and Video Project. My old records also include POV3116 in 2012; I have not yet matched its official title.

Yeditepe University

2014–2015 · Part-time lecturer

I taught VCD547, Interdisciplinary Approaches in Design.

Kadir Has University

2015–2016 · Part-time lecturer

I taught Programming for New Media, including NM107, and Multimedia Project.

MEF University

Autumn term, academic year 2018–2019 · Visiting Instructor

I taught LSC505 Instructional Design with Bengi Birgili in the Learning Sciences master's program. The five-ECTS course was in English and brought together making, robotics, Scratch, Python, 3D modeling, prototyping and project-based learning. We held part of it at İskele47.

Marmara University

Periodic past courses; not currently running · Periodic teaching

I taught New Media Art. As of October 2026, I have not opened this course for about two years; it may be offered again periodically.

Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts

Periodic past courses; not currently running · Periodic teaching

I taught introductory programming for theatre and puppetry students. As of October 2026, I have not opened this course for about two years; it may be offered again periodically.

Education leadership and program founding

Yıldız Technical University: academic administration

2005–2008 · Acting Head, Informatics Department; e-learning coordination

While teaching in Communication Design and Multimedia, I was Acting Head of the Informatics Department and worked on e-learning coordination and projects. These were concurrent responsibilities in different units.

Plato: founding and leading two programs

2010–2014; founding years approximate · Program founder and department head

I founded and headed the Graphic Design and Visual Communication programs. I remember their beginnings as approximately 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Plato Media Lab

Founded April 2012 · Founder and director

I founded and ran Plato Media Lab, where students worked together on classes, productions and projects with the sector.

Workshops and learning programs

Tanışkan

2022–2024 · Project design with Yunus Emre Institute; project management and content design

I designed Tanışkan with Yunus Emre Institute to introduce AI literacy. The workshops connected artistic expression, language and cultural exchange across eight countries. Cansu Yalçıner worked on coordination and content design, Alper Kerpiççi on content, technology and teaching, alongside a wider field team.

Atölye Modern — Contemporary Art and AI

27 November 2024–8 January 2025; 2026 program announced from 8 January · Program instructor

Istanbul Modern’s program lists me as instructor for the six-week 2024–2025 Contemporary Art and AI course. The museum also announced an eight-week edition starting on 8 January 2026. These program editions are separate from my Stüdyo STEAM consultancy.

Contributions to education programs

Aziz Dede’nin Gezgin Atölyesi

Program: June 2023–September 2024 · Support during the initial phase; participation in meetings

I supported the initial phase of the Nesin Foundation project in Samandağ, Hatay, including participation in meetings. The program worked through both a fixed center and mobile workshops.

Working with my students

Teacher-led student projects

Various dates · Teacher and mentor

I taught and mentored the students who made Beyin Bedava, the Ruffles Goldberg Machine, Kafam Siyah Kutu, Autopsy, Cinali Deneyleri, Partake, ProSapiens, Under Constructivism, Opsesif and Suyadoku. Yasemin Yıldırım's B(agli), shown in the 2008 ProSapiens exhibition, is another student work for which I was the instructor.

Her İnsan Bir Nota; Her Dokunuş Bir Ritm…

Exact date not yet added · Teacher; production with his students

My students and I made this interactive music performance in the TAK / Istanbul Design Week context. The video description also mentions a neighboring event; our team was my students and me.

Individual teaching

Individual teaching

Approximately ages 13–25 · Mathematics and English tutor

I gave individual lessons in mathematics and English, sometimes working with a student over a long period.

Communities and associations

İskele47

2014–2021 · Co-founder

I co-founded İskele47 as a shared workshop for making, teaching, experimentation and working together. My involvement continued between 2014 and 2021.

BBOM Kadıköy cooperative

Approximately three years of active involvement · Co-founder

I was among the founders of the Kadıköy cooperative. After about three years of involvement, I continued my work in the separate BBOM association. I no longer have a role in the cooperative.

Başka Bir Okul Mümkün association

Former president for approximately six years; currently a member · Past president; current ordinary member

I served as president of the BBOM association for about six years. I am now an ordinary member. I have not yet reconstructed the exact presidency dates.

Zemberek

Initiative from 2018; association formalized in 2025 · Founding contribution; published board membership

I helped lay Zemberek's foundations through earlier projects and took part in its establishment. I describe my relationship with it as organic. Its website lists me on the board; the earlier work goes back before the association was formally established in 2025.

BUBİ

Historical; dates unresolved · Founding role

I was involved in founding BUBİ.

Akıl Derneği

Historical; dates unresolved · Founding member

I was a founding member of Akıl Derneği.

Festival organization

Istanbul Maker Faire

Approximately 2014–2016 · Co-curator; strategic development and area management

We first tried a very small maker fair at İskele47. For the larger fair, I helped with announcements, bringing people together, dividing it into areas and identifying sub-curators. I also managed one area.

Jury service

FRC Istanbul Regional 2018

2018 · Chairman’s Award jury member

I served on the Chairman’s Award jury; this describes the award category, not a jury-chair position.

FRC Istanbul Regional 2019

2–4 March 2019 · Social jury member

I served on the social jury at the Istanbul Regional, held at Ülker Sports and Event Hall.

Books and editorial contributions

Scratch programming books

Historical editions and later revisions · Co-author with Hakan Ataş

Hakan Ataş and I wrote Scratch coding books for children, educators and families, published by Abaküs. Scratch 3.0 ile Kodlama is an updated version of the earlier work. Publisher entries include ISBN 9786059129213 for the 9+ book and 9786059129169 for Scratch 3.0 ile Kodlama.

Sekme #2: Sibernetik

Completed issue and interview series · Theme editor, editorial writer and interviewer

I was the guest theme editor of fugamundi's Sibernetik issue of Sekme. I wrote the editorial and invited people for the accompanying conversations.

Contributions to other publications

Various dates · Interview participant; occasional advisory contribution

I was interviewed for Çağla Gül Şenkardeş's Blokzincir Teknolojisi ve NFT'ler (Ceres, 2022). Hakan Ataş and I also gave some consultancy to Maker Eğitim Kitaplığı; although old imprints list us as series editors, I remember my involvement as limited.

My writing

Vasiyetimdir

18 January 2017 · m-est.org / English translation: Merve Ünsal

I wrote this text about what happens to works, their derivatives and their stories. Merve Ünsal translated it into English. Read the original statement in its publication context; the link is not a blanket licence for every collaborative or commissioned project in this archive.

Media series

Sanat Sohbetleri / FLU TV

From January 2020; ongoing · Series participant and co-maker; host: İlker Canikligil

I make Sanat Sohbetleri with İlker Canikligil on FLU TV. İlker hosts; I am a recurring participant in the series we make together. The episodes and their short cuts are collected as one series here.

  1. Liderliği Nasıl Yok Ederiz? - Sanat Sohbetleri - Bager Akbay - B21
  2. Bager Akbay'ın Sanatı - Sanat Sohbetleri - Bager Akbay - B20
  3. Sanat Hâlâ Var mı? - Bager Akbay - Sanat Sohbetleri B01
  4. İyi Sanat Nedir? - Bager Akbay - Sanat Sohbetleri B03
  5. Sanat Nasıl Yapılır? - Bager Akbay - Sanat Sohbetleri B04
  6. Sanat Eğitimi - Sanat Sohbetleri - Bager Akbay - B07
  7. Kinetic Sculpture - Art Talks - Bager Akbay - B18
  8. The Great Basic Art Education Debate - Art Chats - Bager Akbay - B09
  9. Atatürk'ün En Seveceği Şarkılar - B19 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  10. Dali mi, Dall-E mi? - B17 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  11. Yapay Sanat - B16 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  12. Metaverse Balon mu? - Konuk: Koray Birand - B15 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  13. Veriden Sanat Olur mu? - B14 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  14. Aypera: Türkiye'nin Dijital İnsanı - B13 (Contemporary Istanbul) | Sanat Sohbetleri
  15. NFT: Is Art Design? - B12 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  16. Refik Anadol'la Makine Hatıraları Sergi Turu - B11 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  17. Refik Anadol - Bager Akbay/İlker Canikligil - B10 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  18. Virus Art and Bioculture - B08 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  19. Hayvanlar Sanat Yaparsa - B06 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  20. Commodore 64 - B05 | Sanat Sohbetleri
  21. Instagram Sanat mıdır? - B02 | Sanat Sohbetleri

Rassal Yürüyüş

Currently stopped; may resume · Joint publication with Tevfik Uyar

Tevfik Uyar and I make Rassal Yürüyüş together. The series is paused; we may return to it, but there is no new schedule yet.

  1. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #1 – DERİ
  2. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #20 – GEOMETRİ ve KEŞİF
  3. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #3 – KÖTÜ
  4. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #6 – CREATIVE COMMONS
  5. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #25 – DOGMA ve DEĞER YARATMA
  6. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #4 – SİTE
  7. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #19 – BİLİNÇ ve KORSAN
  8. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #18 – KRİZ ve VARKALIM
  9. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #21 – BUZUL ve MODEL
  10. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #9 – GEOMETRİ
  11. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #24 – BİT ve OTONOM
  12. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #23 – ÇOCUK ve KODLAMA
  13. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #22 – INFLUENCER ve FOTOĞRAFÇI
  14. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #26 – TAKMAMAK ve DUYARSIZLAŞMAK
  15. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #7 – NÖROLOJİK
  16. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #8 – KARTOPU
  17. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #5 – DEYİM
  18. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #16 – AÇIK KAYNAK ve GELENEK
  19. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #2 – SEVMEK
  20. 2. #PowerPodcastFestivali RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ/BAGER AKBAY-TEVFİK UYAR
  21. a'21 :: Random Walks I (TR) :: Bager Akbay and Tevfik Uyar
  22. a'21 :: Random Walks II (TR) :: Bager Akbay and Tevfik Uyar
  23. a'21 :: Random Walks :: amberPlatform
  24. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #27 – EŞİK ve SEZGİ
  25. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #13 – DIY ve DERGİ
  26. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #29 – DOSTLUK ve VAROLUŞ
  27. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #14 – ATOM ve YANGIN
  28. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #10 – OYUN ve EŞEK
  29. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #30 – STAJYER ve DEFALARCA
  30. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #11 – OLUŞ ve KOMUTAN
  31. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #17 – UZGÖRÜ ve EMEK
  32. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #12 – YAĞIŞ ve MEYVE
  33. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #28 – TRANS ve YASAK
  34. RASSAL YÜRÜYÜŞ #15 – BEYGİR ve TOPRAK
  35. Rassal Yürüyüş #31: Geri Dönüşüm ve Oyun
  36. Rassal Yürüyüş #32: İkindi ve Akciğerliler
  37. Rassal Yürüyüş #33: Algoritma ve Toplum
  38. Rassal Yürüyüş #34: Acemilik ve Alıngan
  39. Rassal Yürüyüş #35: Sürahi ve Tamir
  40. Rassal Yürüyüş #36: Boya ve Sakar
  41. Rassal Yürüyüş #37: Güzergah ve Sır
  42. Rassal Yürüyüş #38: Döngü ve Düşüncesizlik
  43. Rassal Yürüyüş #39: Soba ve Aydınlanma
  44. Rassal Yürüyüş #40: Ufak ve Bohem
  45. Rassal Yürüyüş #41: Manav ve Mürekkep
  46. Rassal Yürüyüş #42: Pilav ve Anayasa
  47. Rassal Yürüyüş #43: Sınır ve Ölü
  48. Rassal Yürüyüş #44: Yazılı ve Döşeme
  49. Rassal Yürüyüş #45: İhtiyar ve Temel
  50. Rassal Yürüyüş #46: Keloğlan ve Kent
  51. Rassal Yürüyüş #47: Yemin ve Öz
  52. Rassal Yürüyüş #48: Salı ve Dev
  53. Rassal Yürüyüş #49: Kahverengi ve Bacak
  54. Rassal Yürüyüş #50: Armağan ve Umut
  55. Rassal Yürüyüş #51: Salatalık, Ataç, Broşür
  56. Rassal Yürüyüş #52: Afet ve Garip Döngü
  57. Rassal Yürüyüş #53: Hipnoz ve Daktilo
  58. Rassal Yürüyüş #54: Karmaşık ve Yay
  59. Rassal Yürüyüş #55: Arıcı ve Dara
  60. Rassal Yürüyüş #56: Nota ve Ödül
  61. Rassal Yürüyüş #57: Taksit ve Kördüğüm
  62. Rassal Yürüyüş #58: Örtü ve Makale

Sibernetik / fugamundi

Completed · Host and interviewer

I invited and interviewed the guests in the Sibernetik series accompanying Sekme #2.

  1. Bager Akbay X Yaren Eren Budak: Sibernetik - Giriş | Sekme #2
  2. Bager Akbay X Deniz Cem Özduygu: Sibernetik | Sekme #2
  3. Bager Akbay X Kerem Dündar: Sibernetik | Sekme #2
  4. Bager Akbay X Önder Küçükural: Sibernetik | Sekme #2
  5. Bager Akbay X Osman Koç: Sibernetik | Sekme #2
  6. Bager Akbay X Burak Ülman: Sibernetik | Sekme #2
  7. Bager Akbay X Eda Gecikmez: Sibernetik | Sekme #2

Talks and panels

TEDx konuşmaları — recordings

Published recordings · Talks and conversations

I have grouped the recordings here by series or publisher, keeping their original titles. Longer conversations are listed rather than treating every short excerpt as a separate appearance.

  1. Nasıl Zengin Olunur? | Bager Akbay | TEDxİKÜ
  2. BİREYSEL DÖNÜŞÜM VE DÜNYADAKİ DEĞİŞİMLER | Bager Akbay | TEDxHisar School Youth
  3. Maker Eğitim Hareketi | Maker Education Movement | 2015 | Bager Akbay | TEDxReset
  4. Sanat Nedir? | Bager Akbay | TEDxIstanbul
  5. Deniz Yılmaz: Robot Şair | Bager Akbay | TEDxKoçUniversity
  6. Üçüncü Mekanlarda Yaşamak | Bager Akbay | TEDxKabataşHighSchool
  7. Çocuklar Ne İstiyor? | Bager Akbay | TEDxIstanbul
  8. Dijital İnsan | Bager Akbay | TEDxSabanciUniversity

When Can a Robot Win the Nobel Prize in Literature? — Ibn Haldun University

14 May 2026 · Speaker; moderated by Emine Hoşoğlu Doğan

I discussed Deniz Yılmaz, literature, creativity and human–machine relationships at Ibn Haldun University’s Comparative Literature Department. Emine Hoşoğlu Doğan moderated the conversation.

Guest appearances

Early programming and work

Early computing and professional work

1980s–2000s · Programming, design and technical work

I began programming around 1984 on home computers including Spectrum, Oric and Amstrad, and used Pascal from around 1988. As a teenager, I spent two summers in technical service at Kompütek. While studying at İTÜ in 1996–1999, I worked on computing tasks there. My later professional work included Delphi/Pascal development at Doruk Otomasyon in 1998–1999 and a short game-design job at Dinç İnteraktif around 2000.

Theatre and puppetry

Teknik Sahne / Kara Tiyatro

1996–2002 in historical records · Actor and puppeteer

I acted and performed puppetry in productions including Kral Yolu II, Medea and the blacklight puppet-theatre work Büyücü.

My education and student projects

School and exchange history

1980s–1995 · School education and exchange student

I attended İcadiye Primary School in 1981–1987, Kadıköy Anadolu Lisesi's boarding middle school in 1987–1991 and İstanbul Atatürk Fen Lisesi in 1991–1994. I then spent an additional high-school year at Kogyokusha in Tokyo through a Rotary exchange in 1994–1995.

Higher education

1995–2014 · Completed bachelor’s degree; unfinished later study

I completed my bachelor's degree in Communication Design and Multimedia at Yıldız Technical University, where I studied in 1999–2005. Before that I attended YTÜ computer programming in 1995–1996 and İTÜ Mathematics Engineering in 1996–1999, leaving both. I began postgraduate Interactive Media Design at YTÜ in 2005 and later left. I studied Interface Cultures at the University of Arts Linz in 2009–2014 and left at the thesis stage. I did not complete a master's degree.

Projects from my student years

My student years · Student designer and programmer

I made Kandinsky, Top Model, Cr8, Audio Search, Voice-Controlled Robot Simulation, Kombinezon and Amman Avcı while I was a student. They belong to my own education, before the later projects I mentored as a teacher.

Unfinished research and related experiments

Brute Force Art: A Generative Art Framework

Unfinished Interface Cultures master’s research · Researcher and programmer

For my unfinished master's research I proposed a system with Generators to create images, Analyzers to evaluate them and Minds to direct later production. I worked with evolutionary generation, image analysis and feedback. I did not finish the thesis or the integrated system. Looking back, some of what I was trying reminds me of GAN-like ideas, but that is a later comparison. I am an artist was a realized artwork related to this research. Beautiful was a smaller experiment combining Flickr images through additive and subtractive blending.

Theses and articles discussing my work

These are theses and articles in which I was interviewed, my work was discussed or cited, or my name appeared in an acknowledgement. Each entry states the relationship. Original publication titles are retained; these are works by other authors.

Ayca Daştan — Müziğin Dans ile Disiplinlerarası Diyaloğun 21. yy Türkiye’sinde Sahnelenen Örneklerle İncelenmesi

2019 · Acknowledgement and discussion of a production

Ayca Daştan’s thesis examines Atrofi 1 alongside other productions and acknowledges the production teams, including me. My documented contribution concerns Atrofi 1.

Burcu Kaya — Fikir ve Sanat Eserleri Hukukuna Göre Mimarlık Eserleri

2018 · Discussion of authorship

Burcu Kaya’s 2018 Istanbul Bilgi University thesis discusses Deniz Yılmaz and authorship on printed page 9. The interpretation belongs to the author and the publication’s historical context.

Özgür Ballı — Günümüz Sanatında Dijitalleşme; Posthümanizm Bağlamında Sanat ve Sanatçının Yerini Alan Algoritma: Post-Sanatçı

2020 · Interview and artwork discussion

Özgür Ballı’s study includes an interview with me in Appendix 1, printed pages 158–165. The linked copy is hosted by a third-party document platform; an institutional copy is still being sought.

Writing about my work

Event hosting

Announced programs

Exhibitions and artist participation

Press kit

Title

Designer, Artist, Educator.

Biography

Bager Akbay is a designer, artist and educator, and the storyteller of Robot Poet Deniz Yılmaz. His work has appeared at festivals including Ars Electronica and TodaysArt, and he has participated as a panelist at Transmediale. He is a co-author of Scratch programming books for children, a co-founder of İskele47 and a co-curator of Istanbul Maker Faire. He is a member of Amber Platform’s association, which works in art and technology, and Başka Bir Okul Mümkün, which supports participatory, peaceful learning communities. He has taught contemporary art, new media art and programming for theatre and puppetry students at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Marmara University and the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. He makes Sanat Sohbetleri with İlker Canikligil on FLU TV and advises Paribu Studio.

Portrait photographs

Please credit Şeref Yılmaz when using either photograph.

For press enquiries: bagerakbay@gmail.com

All links by category

The links used throughout my account are collected again here by category. Original publication titles are retained; publication and upload dates may differ from event dates.