Zafer Aracagök

Zafer Aracagök (b.1962) is a writer and a composer from Turkey. He has a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Oslo in Norway. With his first book "Eve Dönmek İstemiyorum" ("I Don’t Want to Go Home," İletişim 1995) [ [http://www.iletisim.com.tr/iletisim/book.aspx?bid=169 Eve Dönmek İstemiyorum - İletişim Yayınları ] ] where he combined fiction with theory, aiming to develop Adorno and Horkheimer’s criticism on "The Odyssey" and the “Sirens” chapter, he became an underground literary figure in Turkish literary scene. This was followed by "Anti-Hamlet," (Metis 1996) [http://www.metiskitap.com/Scripts/Catalog/Book.asp?ID=1131] , which contains experimental texts about representation and hauntology accompanied with a performance text. Aracagök performed the same piece at XamplE II Exhibition, 1-20 April 1995 at AKM, Istanbul and immediately became notorious for this noisy performance. His last book, "Sıfırografya" ("Zerography," Oğlak 1999) [http://www.ideefixe.com/kitap/tanim.asp?sid=OURM530G433OZSLBDNFG] is designed to develop a critical perspective on the theory of autobiography and subjectivity through Leibnizean philosophy, woven with fragments from Kafka.

Aracagök also published articles on the issues of rhythm, distortion, noise, voice and image in Continental philosophy in international publications such as "Pli - The Warwick Journal of Philosophy"" [http://www.warwick.ac.uk/philosophy/pli_journal/vol_14.html] , and "Symploke" [http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/symploke/toc/sym13.1.html] .

Works as SIFIR

In 2001, under the name SIFIR (Zero), Aracagök released the electronic music album "NeredeOradaBurada" [http://www.ideefixe.com/Muzik/urun_liste.asp?kid=41823&query=0&f=1] which was the first electronically executed album in Turkey. His second album, "Insan Ritm Makina" (2003) [http://www.ideefixe.com/Muzik/urun_liste.asp?kid=41823&query=0&f=1] explores the sonic influences of Deleuzian philosophy with respect to the question of rhythm, noise and distortion. "Ben Aptalım Çünkü Ölüyüm, Ben Ölüyüm Çünkü Aptalım" [http://www.ideefixe.com/muzik/tanim.asp?sid=MZUUT1GDMA0AI40TPWHS] ("I'm Stupid because I'm Dead, I'm Dead because I'm Stupid" 2005), is a sonic experiment about Nietzsche’s collapse in Turin. All of his albums are released by ADA Records, Istanbul. His electronic compositions have also appeared in compilations such as Project Ctrl_Alt_Del [http://www.project-ctrl-alt-del.com/] in the Netherlands (2003), alongside artists such as Merzbow and Scanner [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Rimbaud] . The electronic music album "Divide by Zero" composed with Yolande Harris, is due for release by Persistencebit Records of Italy. His latest work "Yalvaririm Beyfendi Saatiniz Kaçi Gösteriyor?" deals with Sevim Burak, a language-dissident Turkish female writer who produced radical texts of "l'écriture féminine" during her life time between 1931-1983.

Selected Performances
§ "Divide by Zero", electronic music performance with co-composer Yolande Harris, 11 February 2006, Platform Art Centre, İstanbul (supported by British Council). [http://platformgarantienglish.blogspot.com/2006/02/performans-11-ubat-cumartesi-2000-2100.html]
§ "Divide by Zero", electronic music performance, 21 September 2005 at ITU/MIAM (as a part of the 9th İstanbul International Biennial).
§ "Sifir with Viki", “Songs for a Neighbour,” sound art performance, 27 January 2005, Jan van Eyck Academie Gallery, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
§ "Sifir Performance", sound art performance, 27 September 2003, "Project: Ctrl_Alt_Del," Marres, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
§ "Example Manifesto", "The Ear with Capital E", and "I/Eyeing in the Whatever Picture", performed in XamplE III Exhibition, 10 March – 8 April 1996 at Darmstadt, Germany.

[http://www.eri.mmu.ac.uk/deleuze/journaljuly06_4.php] click here to listen to a track from "Divide by Zero".

References

* [http://www.eri.mmu.ac.uk/deleuze/ZaferAracagkBiog.php Manchester Metropolitan University - Deleuze Studies - The English Research Institute]
* [http://www.birikimdergisi.com/birikim/kisi.aspx?kid=40 Birikim - Zafer Aracagök]
* [http://www.project-ctrl-alt-del.com/i_sfr.htm ctrl_alt_del..a sound-art project..istanbul..2005 - Zafer Aracagök]
* [http://www.project-ctrl-alt-del.com/index2.htm ctrl_alt_del..a sound-art project..maastricht..2003 - Zafer Aracagök]