Aftermath of the Climate Crisis Derinkuyu Revived

Around 2800 years ago, the inhabitants of the Cappadocia area, Türkiye, facing the harsh conditions of severe weather and constant fear of conflicts, made a crucial decision. They constructed Derinkuyu underground city which remains the oldest and the biggest surviving underground city, accommodating approx. 20.000 residents, schools, markets, residencies and places of worship.

Using scientific facts and science fiction, Gurkan Maruf Mıhçı, reimagines an underground city in the context of the climate crisis. He revisited ancient underground cities of Cappadocia and examined how people lived and survived together aiming to understand whether this experience would help us to survive in the future. 25,000 Gen AI images were collected, collaged, synthesized and processed to create 42 animated scenes. Based on his research on the traditional wind instrument Duduk, Gurkan developed a music composition that combines historical sounds with futuristic analog synthesizer. This fusion of past and future elements echoes the visual themes of the video and immerses the viewer in the speculative narrative.

Funded by the DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award by The Christel DeHaan Family Foundation and Frank C. Springer Family Innovative Faculty Award at IUI