Mert Akbal

Lehre und Forschung in den Bereichen Animation, Medienkunst, künstliche Intelligenz, virtuelle Realität & Simulationen, Kunst & Wissenschaft, open-source Software.

Veranstaltungen :  Animation Lab (2008 - 2022) > Generative Art Lab (seit 2022 fortlaufend) 

Blender Lab (seit 2013 fortlaufend)

 Animation & Experimental Media (seit 2008 fortlaufend)

 Creative Dreaming (2019-2021), Art of Science (2021- 2022)

Vita

Mert Akbal is a visual artist and researcher specializing in generative media art, cognitive sciences, and artificial intelligence. They create works of visual media art, including animated paintings, animations, and mapping projections, while conducting transdisciplinary research and coordinating interdisciplinary projects. Akbal's artworks have been exhibited internationally, with some held by collectors and museums. Their research articles have been published in electronic art, cognitive science, and medical research journals and conferences. They also actively engage in knowledge-sharing through workshops and the creation of informational content with the aim of science communication.

As an academic researcher at the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar (University of Fine Arts Saar, Saarbrücken, Germany) and an associated researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (Leipzig-Berlin, Germany), Mert Akbal teaches media art and supervises projects for students in art, design, and informatics disciplines. Additionally, they actively contribute to interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with visual artists, computer scientists, and cognitive scientists.

 

www.mertakbal.com

Studium und akademische Erfahrung

2000 - 2007  Studium an der HBKSaar: Kommunikationsdesign, Malerei, Animation, Performance und Medienkunst bei den Professoren Bodo Baumgarten, Burkhard Detzler, Ulrike Rosenbach und Tamás Waliczky.
Seit 2008 wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter (Medien und künstlerische Produktion) des Studiengangs Media Art & Design HBKSaar.
2016 - 2019  wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der Max-Planck-Instituts für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften.

Konferenz Präsentationen:

• Dream Connection / IASD 2012, BERN (CH) Regional Konferenz von International Association for the Study of Dreams, Universität Bern, Presentation  
• Cybernetics Norbert Wiener in 21th Century / IEEE
  2014, BOSTON (US)
  IEEE Conference on Cybernetics, Norbert Wiener in 21st Century, Presentation
• ACE 2014  / ACE 2014, MADEIRA (PT) Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, Presentation “Akbal, M., Zehle, S., & Schmitz, M. (2014). From Technomania to the School of Things. In Proceedings of the 2014 Workshops on Advances in Computer Entertainment Conference - ACE ’14 Workshops (pp. 1–8). “ http://doi.org/10.1145/2693787.2693806
• CHI Play / ACM SIGCHI 2015, LONDON (UK) ACM SIGCHI Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, Paper und Poster Presentations: “Schmitt, H., Kray, J., Schmitz, M., & Akbal, M. (2015). Training While Playing?: Enhancing Cognitive Control Through Digital Games. In Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (pp. 685–690). http://doi.org/10.1145/2793107.2810322” / “Schmitz, M., Akbal, M., & Zehle, S. (2015). SpielRaum: Perspectives for Collaborative Play. Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 427–432. http://doi.org/10.1145/2793107.2810306” / “Schmitz, M., Fehringer, B. C. O. F., & Akbal, M. (2015). Expressing Emotions With Synthetic Affect Bursts. Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play - CHI PLAY ’15, 91–95. http://doi.org/10.1145/2793107.2793139”
• Cultural Revolution  / ISEA 2016, HONG KONG (HK) International Symposium on Electronic Arts, Presentation, Presentation “Reproduction of Dream Experience in Virtual Reality” 
• Real of Reality / ZKM 2016, KARLSRUHE (DE) Konferenz über Film und Philosophie, Presentation “Dream as Visual Expression”
• Intersections  / ISEA 2018 22-30.06.2018, DURBAN (SA) International Symposium on Electronic Arts, Presentation,  “Binocular Waves”. Panel Presentation, Workshop, Exhibition. 

Wissenschaftliche Publikationen:

• From Technomania to the School of Things / Proceeding, 2014, Akbal, M., Zehle, S., & Schmitz, M. (2014). From Technomania to the School of Things. In Proceedings of the 2014 Workshops on Advances in Computer Entertainment Conference - ACE ’14 Workshops (pp. 1–8). http://doi.org/10.1145/2693787.2693806
• Training While Playing?: Enhancing Cognitive Control Through Digital Games  / Proceeding, 2015, Schmitt, H., Kray, J., Schmitz, M., & Akbal, M. (2015). Training While Playing?: Enhancing Cognitive Control Through Digital Games. In Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (pp. 685–690). http://doi.org/10.1145/2793107.2810322
• SpielRaum: Perspectives for Collaborative Play. / Proceeding, 2015, Schmitz, M., Akbal, M., & Zehle, S. (2015). SpielRaum: Perspectives for Collaborative Play. Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, 427–432. http://doi.org/10.1145/2793107.2810306
• Expressing Emotions With Synthetic Affect Bursts  / Proceeding, 2015, Schmitz, M., Fehringer, B. C. O. F., & Akbal, M. (2015). Expressing Emotions With Synthetic Affect Bursts. Proceedings of the 2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play - CHI PLAY ’15, 91–95. http://doi.org/10.1145/2793107.2793139
• Active vision varies across the cardiac cycle, 2018, Stella Kunzendorf, Felix Klotzsche, Mert Akbal, Arno Villringer, Sven Ohl, Michael Gaebler (2018). Psychophysiology, doi: 10.1111/psyp.13322. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/03/18/283838.full.pdf
• "OpenVirtualObjects: An open set of standardized and validated 3D household objects for virtual reality-based research, diagnostics, and therapy.", 2019, Johanne Tromp, Mert Akbal, Eva Maria Quinque, Felix Klotzsche, Leonardo Pohl, Arno Villringer, Stephan Krohn, and Michael Gaebler. In ICVR 2019 - International Conference on Virtual Rehabilitation (ICVR) 2019 Jul 21 (pp. 1-2). IEEE. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2020.611091/full
• Multidimensional evaluation of Virtual Reality paradigms in clinical neuropsychology: the VR-Check framework, 2020, Stephan Krohn, Johanne Tromp,  Eva Quinque,  Julia Belger,  Felix Klotzsche, Sophia Rekers, Paul  Chojecki, Mert  Akbal, Cade Andrew  McCall, Arno Villringer. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH.      ISSN 1438-8871 http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/156797/
• Forward optic flow is prioritised in visual awareness independently of walking direction, 2021, Motyka, P., Akbal, M., & Litwin, P.  Plos one, 16(5), e0250905. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250905

Ausgewählte Ausstellungen, Festivals und Konferenzpräsentationen

2023 Kandinsky’s Kaleidoskop / Historisches Museum Saar, SAARBRUECKEN (DE) 2022 Virtually Human / Wizara, BERLIN (DE), KAIRO (EG) 2022 MetaDreams / mit Mey Seifan, BERLIN (DE) 2022 SENSE Festival / BIOTOPIA Naturkundemuseum, MÜNCHEN (DE) 2021 THERMAL / Laser Talks, Leonardo ISAST, ARS Electronica, LINZ (AT) 2021 Let me Hold You / Mörby Gård Konst, ORNÖ (SE) 2021 Kosmos der Urbanen Liga / Urbane Liga, re:publica, BERLIN (DE) 2021 #2 Physical: Restitution / RectoVRso Festival-Laval Virtual, Musée-École de la Perrine - Laval (FR) 2019 Oneiric Transductions / Laser Talks, FORTALEZA (BR) 2018 Intersections / Internationales Symposium für Elektronische Künste, DURBAN (SA) 2018 Mirage Festival / Les Subsistances, LYON (FR) 2018 Curious Dreams (Einzelausstellung) / Kunstverein Ulm, ULM (DE) 2017 Silberne Frequenz / LWL Museum für Kunst und Kultur, MÜNSTER (DE) 2016 Transmediale Vorspiel / ACUD, BERLIN (DE) 2016 Real of Reality / ZKM, KARLSRUHE (DE) 2016 Cultural Revolution / I Internationales Symposium für Elektronische Künste, HONG KONG (HK) 2013 Prix d’Art Robert Schuman / Johanneskirche Saarbrücken, SAARBRÜCKEN (DE) 2013 SaarArt - Landeskunstausstellung des Saarlandes / Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen, NEUNKIRCHEN (DE) 2012 Paratactic Commons / AMBER’ 12 Kunst- und Technologiefestival, ISTANBUL (TR) 2012 International Forum for Pyschomotoric/Performance/Interaction / Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, STUTTGART (DE) 2012 Dream Connection / Internationale Vereinigung für die Erforschung von Träumen, BERN (CH) 2009 Mythos und Heimat / Holzgau, HOLZGAU, TIROL (AT) 2008 Octobre Rouge Video Art Prize CIGL (LU) 2008 Landeskunstausstellung des Saarlandes / Städtische Galerie Neunkirchen, NEUNKIRCHEN (DE) 2008 The 1st International Roaming Biennial of Tehran / Hafriyat Karaköy, ISTANBUL (TR) / BERLIN (DE) / BELGRAD (RS) 2004 Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis, SAARBRÜCKEN (DE)