Radio Chthulucene 87.9 FM

Artist: Gunes Carglarcan

This past weekend, I went to Laguna beach. As my friends and I were walking back to the car, we stumbled upon an art gallery. After browsing the art, we turned around to make our way to the exit. Just before we left, a man greeted us. He was the artist who was hosting the exhibition. He told us he was from Turkey, and explained how he has created his pieces as he traveled around the world from Turkey to Paris to Santa Barbara to San Diego. He told us about how he is a melancholic but he uses bright colors and metallics to create his artwork because he does not want to “stare at depressing things all day”. While driving through the lush green hills, my friends and I all gushed over how much we loved his art. I admired how he is so unapologetically himself in how he presents himself to the world, interacts with others, and in the work he creates. 

It is difficult to articulate what it is about him that makes him exude such great energy. It is some unexplainable trait. The speakers today reminded me of this. The joy that they find in the work that they create radiates to everyone that they share it with. It was evident not only in the discussion they had with the class today but in the connections they have formed through their work. This class has reminded me that there is so much joy to be found in the process of creating art. Not only has it reminded me of this but it has shown me a new level of joy that is experienced when creating something and sharing it with others. While I struggled a lot with figuring out what I wanted my radio to be, it has been such a rewarding and enjoyable experience. I am really proud of the progress I have made and how my final project is coming together. There is still a lot of work to be done but now I can see the end result much more clearly than I was able to before. Working on my project has been an escape from the chaotic reality that we are collectively experiencing. As I am approaching graduation, I have really been feeling the burnout that has accumulated over the past 3 years. I am grateful to be able to use this project as a creative outlet that energizes me and for the opportunity to share this project with others. 

Another exciting update is that I have settled on a location for my radio, and I will be finalizing the logistics of it tomorrow. I have chosen to have my radio set up at the Women’s Center because I felt that the themes of my project align with the Women’s Center’s goals.