BIO

Alkan Avcıoğlu (b. 1982, Turkey) is a pioneering artist in the field of AI, whose work is uniquely informed by his wide-ranging background in cinema, academia, electronic music, and digital experimentation. He became one of the first AI post-photography artists to have his work exhibited and collected at traditional art fairs, including Paris Photo, Art Basel Miami, Zona Maco, and Vogue Photo.

Recognized as a math child prodigy at an early age, he studied International Relations at university, followed by a master's degree in Film Studies, and then entered a Ph.D. programme in Communication Sciences. For many years, he lectured on Narratology and pursued scholarly research in semiotics.

His experience in the film industry is extensive, having served as a FIPRESCI-affiliated professional film critic for over 15 years. Throughout his writing career, he contributed regular columns to newspapers and magazines, specializing in visual arts and highlighting overlooked masterpieces in art history. Notably, he curated the Hidden Gems section for the Istanbul International Film Festival, spotlighting banned, lost, or overshadowed films. He also worked for over a decade in theatrical distribution and film acquisitions, attending major film festivals worldwide for many years.

Alkan is also a DJ, with a diverse range of creative endeavors spanning digital manipulation and electronic music composition. He founded the innovative music magazine Lull in 2001, which quickly became a cult sensation. He composed over 50 electronic glitch-ambient songs in the early 2000s, with a pioneering use of digital tools. He embarked on digital painting as early as 1999 and has since created thousands of works. His expertise also extends to movie poster design, having acted as creative director for over a hundred posters.

In 2022, he set aside these diverse hats and directed his focus to the storytelling possibilities of AI art. He quickly emerged as a leading voice in the field, gaining recognition for his distinct visual language and conceptual depth in questioning photographic reality. His collections have repeatedly sold out, with works acquired by museums and prominent art collectors. His works have been exhibited internationally, including in Paris, Milan, New York, Miami, Shanghai, Mexico City, Brussels, Seattle, and Toronto. Most recently, his work was featured at Christie’s inaugural AI auction, reinforcing his reputation as one of the foremost artists engaging critically and creatively with artificial intelligence.