Reader of the Week: Bâlâ Atabek

This artist pays the bills by acting on a Turkish sitcom

By Kirsten Kilponen
Published: June 1st, 2009 | 8:10am

Not everyone can say that they have over a thousand fans from Istanbul on Facebook, but our reader of the week, Bâlâ Atabek, can. It’s only a matter of time until Atabek’s many talents, displayed on her Deviant Art page, get discovered by the millions of tastemakers around the world. As the daughter of a socialist mother and journalist father, this 23-year-old has always had a sharp sensibility and a flare for expression. Now get yourself situated, and listen to what she has to say about her visits to New York, the meaning of her name, what’s on her vegan shopping list, and then add her as your Facebook friend immediately.

What kind of name is Bâlâ Atabek? What does it mean?

Bâlâ is a Persian name which means “mighty.” Atabek is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkish origin.

Do you have any interesting nicknames?

Shoot the Warhol Girl and Mishuka

You’re an artist; can you tell us what it’s like and about the medium you prefer to work in?

I graduated from a conservatory’s acting department. I’m an actress, but I choose to be interested in all modern arts that breathe and move. I believe that an artist should be influenced by each moment and each occupation that exists in the universe. I became aware of the world around me during my school years and I leaned into photography. When it wasn’t enough, I started doing designs for t-shirts and posters with somewhat protest taglines. Every now and then, I get together with musician friends and record songs for fun. I’m really into that right now.

As for being an artist, being an artist means having an extreme level of sensitivity. An artist creates a space of exposure and incitement. If a word I say or an action that I commit can meet hundreds or even thousands and change something in them, that means a lot to me. It’s as strong and fascinating as the feeling you get when you fall in love and crash head-on into a wall.

Can you describe your life in 3 words?

Discovering, passion, spontaneous

Who are your favorite artists, what artists are influencing you currently, and who is your latest discovery?

Some of my all time favorites are Jean-Luc Godard, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, Isabelle Huppert, Oscar Wilde, Jean Genet, Diane Arbus, Andy Warhol, The Kills, Serge Gainsbourg, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christophe Honoré, Louis Garrel, Ferzan Ozpetek, Dinah Washington, Julie Delpy, and Marlene Dietrich.

Those who have influenced me lately are Barbara Kruger, Sophie Calle, Andy Riley, Hedi Slimane, and Antonin Artaud.

My latest discovery is Company of Thieves. I love them!

Who have been the most influential people in your life?

My mom and grandmother, who raised me in the most fun [of] ways, and my closest friend, Marsha Franco. Each conversation and each moment we share feeds me in so many ways.

What do you hate the most about the art world?

I don’t like it when art becomes a ruthless industry, and I hate that hundreds and thousands of talented people from all over the world work in jobs that they do not like just to survive, and that they can’t bring up their own point of view and their own talent in front of all eyes. What needs to be done to change all this is to give a chance to those really talented “no-names” and to give them a space of their own, a space of creation. What it takes to change is to believe and to be brave.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Oh god, can I mix them?! Well, if I should choose one, chocolate, <i>of course</i>.

Do you have a day job? Do you do something else to pay the bills?

I have a part in a Turkish sitcom which pays me okay. I survive on that!

What are your favorite places to eat, have fun, and people watch when you’re in New York?

There’s always something to do in Central Park. I love the second hand book store, Strand Books, and a vegan restaurant in Upper East Side, Gobo. I like hanging around in Jazz Record Center.

What is on your vegan grocery list?

Soy milk (vanilla and chocolate), tofu, rice and as many vegetables and fruits as I can find.

Any last words for our readers? Any advice for our readers?

Keep reading Venus Zine and singing in the shower.

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www.myspace.com/mishuka

www.mishuka.deviantart.com/