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Çağdaş Çeçen
@nihilprophetInstagram cecencagdas@gmail.comE-Mail
Vienna — Media Art

About

Light, sound and interaction as instruments for listening to hidden systems, microbial, electromagnetic, human.

Cagdas Cecen is a Vienna based media artist and curator working at the intersection of light, sound, and interactive systems. Trained in physics before completing his diploma in Media Art / Digital Arts at the Universitat fur angewandte Kunst Wien (class of Ruth Schnell), he builds installations that render invisible phenomena perceptible: laser encoded sound travelling through microbial ecosystems, artificial light translated into hearing, satellite dishes haunted by uncensored machine narratives.

His work has been shown internationally, including at the Biennale Sessions of La Biennale di Venezia and Ars Electronica Festival, and recognised by the Media Architecture Biennale Awards: winner of the Spatial Media Art Student Award (Ghostbox, 2023) and finalist of the Transmedial Media Architecture Award (The Cellular Fidelity, 2023).

A person stands beside a dark branching sculpture with glowing spheres, holding a small device toward the lights
Enlightening Stories : Afterglow. Audio encoded into the light is heard through headphones, closer or more distant depending on your path. On the homepage, moving over the tree is that same act of listening.

Exhibitions

2026

Enlightening Stories : AFTERGLOWArs Electronica Festival 2026
Linz - Austria
Echo Chamber (Interactive Sculpture)Solo Exhibition, Palais Rössl
Vienna - Austria

2025

Ghostbox — Klangkunst zum AngreifenCollective Exhibition, feat. ExMachinisMusicae
Vienna - Austria
Enlightening Stories (Demokratie, was geht?)Austrian Parliament
Vienna - Austria
Enlightening Stories (Demokratie, was geht?)Kulturhaus Brotfabrik
Vienna - Austria
Enlightening Stories ("Wir Sehen Euch")WUK
Vienna - Austria

2023

Two Faces – PalimpsestCollective Exhibition, Alte Ankerbrotfabrik
Vienna - Austria
Byte the PurpleSolo Exhibition, Kunstpunkt Berlin
Berlin - Germany
Two FacesArtwalk Palimpsest, Transmedia Collective Performance
Vienna - Austria

2022

Distance FogCollective Exhibition, Wienstation
Vienna - Austria
The Cellular FidelitySolo Exhibition, Alte Schieberkammer
Vienna - Austria
Kempelenpark Open HouseCollective Exhibition
Vienna - Austria
Trauma TraumaCollective Exhibition, Fabrikraum
Vienna - Austria

2021

Transform-Arte 2021Participating artist
Eisenstadt - Austria
Angewandte Festival 2021Participating artist
Vienna - Austria

2019

5.5 (Mixed Media Installation), KAIROS: Recall of Earth Part 2Collective Exhibition
Thessaloniki - Greece
"Spannung!" MedienwerkstattCollective Exhibition
Vienna - Austria
Fabrikraum #01Collective Exhibition
Vienna - Austria
5.5 (Mixed Media Installation), KAIROS: Recall of Earth Part 1La Biennale di Venezia, Biennale Sessions
Venice - Italy
Offene Ateliers in MargaretenKünstlerhaus, Participating artist
Vienna - Austria
Reflecting RecordsCollective Exhibition
Vienna - Austria

2018

A Community of IndividualsSOHO Festival
Vienna - Austria

2017

Digital WorkflowCollective Exhibition
Vienna - Austria
Untapped SurplusCollective Exhibition, Künstlerhaus
Vienna - Austria
Disintegrate (Stop-Motion PSA Film)Ministerium für ein lebenswertes Österreich, Danube Projekt, Haus der Europäischen Union
Vienna - Austria

2016

Infected StructuresCollective Exhibition
Sokolowsko - Poland
Smells Like Sh.t (Video Documentary "TV916")Collective Exhibition
Trebinje - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sowohl als auch...Performance
Vienna - Austria

Awards

2025

BMKÖS Project GrantFederal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport — for "Echo Chamber"

2023

Spatial Media Arts Student Award — WINNERMedia Architecture Biennale 2023 Awards, for "Ghostbox" (2021)
Transmedial Media Architecture Award — FINALISTMedia Architecture Biennale 2023 Awards, for "The Cellular Fidelity" (2022)

2022

MA 7 Project GrantCultural Affairs Department of the City of Vienna — for "The Cellular Fidelity"

Curatorial

2025

Artificial TerritoriesDas LOT, Vienna - Austria — Artistic Concept and Lead Curator
Wir Sehen EuchWUK, Vienna - Austria — Co-Curator

2024

Ludic TerritoriesDas LOT, Vienna - Austria — Artistic Concept and Lead Curator

2023

FAVOURITE FALL — Brotfabrik HerbstfestArt and Culture Festival — Artistic Curator on behalf of ECHOLOT

Activities

2023 to 2025

Artistic Director and Curator, ECHOLOTDas LOT, Vienna

2019 to 2021

Deputy Chairperson of ÖH Angewandte (HUFAK)Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien
University Senate MemberUniversität für angewandte Kunst Wien

2018 to 2023

Founder and Board MemberKultur und Kunstverein FABRIKRAUM
Founder and Board MemberMedia Art Collective B.A.D. (Basisgruppe angemessener Dilettantismus)

Education

2015 to 2021

Media Art: Digital Arts, Diploma DegreeUniversität für angewandte Kunst Wien — Class of Univ.-Prof. Mag. art. Ruth Schnell

2012 to 2015

BA PhysicsUniversität Wien

2007 to 2009

Scriptwriting / DramaturgyEkim Art Academy Bursa

2004 to 2009

BA PhysicsUludağ University Bursa