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Günseli Yalcinkaya, is a London-based writer, researcher, and critic, specializing in youth and internet culture, as well as the features editor at Dazed Magazine. Her insightful perspective extends beyond the written word, as she explores online trends in-depth through her hosted podcast series, “Logged On,” where she dissects the dynamic landscape of the digital realm. With a wealth of knowledge, Yalcinkaya has delved extensively into topics such as AI, VR, and psychedelia, offering unique insights into their intersection with contemporary culture.
In addition to her work as a writer, Günseli Yalcinkaya is a multifaceted artist, exploring the intricate connections between ecology, magic, and machine learning. Her artistic endeavors reflect a deep curiosity about the evolving relationship between nature, mystical forces, and the advancements in artificial intelligence. As she continues to navigate the ever-changing landscape of technology and culture, Yalcinkaya’s work stands as a testament to her ability to bridge the realms of creativity, exploration, and critical analysis.
Hi Günseli! It’s a pleasure to sit down with you! First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in London?
Ooft—where to begin. When I’m not at Dazed HQ, I spend my time researching online… too many tabs on web browser windows that make my computer slow and angry. It’s quite obsessive, really—right now, it’s puppets and theory-fiction. Lots of monsters and weird shit, mysticism as information theory. Being an internet researcher is strange because you spend so much time online that you begin to develop a sixth sense that extends beyond just you, if that makes any sense. Lately, I’ve been more introverted than usual— don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with friends, I see a lot of live music, but there’s a lot of things I want to do beyond writing, other creative projects that means I have to be more selective with my time. Previously I was internet friend, which meant fully immersing myself in the network, like a node. These days, it’s more like a cryptid—though I’m still very much online, there’s a lot more solo or IRL work, longer-term projects that need realising, late evenings spent working with artists across various mediums… I spend a lot of time in nature, too, which usually surprises people. But, real talk, living in London can be exhausting as a young creative—the class gap is real and there’s so much more I would like to do as an artist that requires time and budget, neither of which I have, lol.
Growing up, what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing, and how did you spend your time?
So insanely shy, like hide-behind-furniture-shy haha. It’s funny because I consider myself to be super social now. We moved from Istanbul to a small town in the midlands when I was very young. Apparently I was mute for an entire year before bursting into fluent English one day at the breakfast table. Not having anyone similar to me growing up probably contributed to feeling alien, I spent a lot of time online on messaging boards and playing Neopets. The internet was always a place of escape for me, which makes a lot of sense now that I think about it..
What does Brexit mean to you?
Long queues at passport control, restricted movement across borders, a waste of time.
Alright, so when did you start to show an interest in writing? And what makes writing your preferred medium of expressing yourself?
I’ve always loved writing though I wouldn’t say I was particularly good at first. Right now, it’s the easiest way for me to express myself, though I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily enjoyable—it’s just something that happens.
With that in mind. You’re currently Features Editor at Dazed, and the host of Logged On. Two very dope titles. How did that come about?
Thank you! I started writing back when I was at university in Bristol. Music has always been my first love and I got my start at Crack Magazine—they would send me to review music festivals around the world, which introduced me to so many artists and people that I admire. It took a lot of hustling over the years before eventually landing a job at Dazed as an assistant, and working my way up to where I am now. As for Logged On, I’m very grateful that I get to explore topics at the frontlines of internet discourse, and huge thanks to the team at Dazed for the trust(!)
I’m very curious about how you approach your research. Can you tell me about your different research strands?
Honestly I have no idea why my brain works the way it does haha, it usually begins with an intuition or ‘vibe’ and then a long process of hunting and gathering information across the web. This usually results in an insanity map of epic proportions through which dots are connected. The research itself is super varied though I’d like to think it’s all in the process of connecting together somehow. The dream would be to elevate such that it reaches Paul Laffoley level diagrams haha, but we’ll see.
You’ve written a lot about AI and psychedelia. What is it about those topics that resonates with you? And where do you see AI in let’s say five years?
We’re currently entering an era of unprecedented weirdness where even basic truths are being put into question—and anything that challenges our reality systems, I think, is innately psychedelic, which is especially the case with AI. There’s so many examples out there, like the viral Balenciaga pope image comes to mind, which so many people believed was ‘real’ when it first did the social media rounds. On a way darker note, look at how AI is being used by governments to sway public opinion in elections and global conflict, like with Palestine. There’s so many implications for the role AI plays in bending our perceived reality, though to be clear, I don’t think AI is necessarily good or bad—the typical comparison people draw is a knife—it can be used to hurt or heal, it’s people’s motives that we should be concerned about.
Same thing goes for the relationship between ecology, magic and machine learning. Can you tell me a little bit about why you find it interesting to study that?
AI forces us to step out of ourselves, it pushes us outside the human and into the non-human. It also warps time and so unlocks a multitude of realities that encompass the material and immaterial, fact and fiction, past and future. This is particularly important when looking at planetary crises—climate change, social inequality, rapid technological acceleration. I wrote an essay for artist Joey Holder that goes deeper into this.
Which do you prefer, digital art or traditional art?
It’s so hard to compare the two! With both, there’s parts that excite me and parts that feel horrible and commercial. What excites me the most about digital art, however, is the potential for weirdness. I really believe that if HP Lovecraft were alive now, he wouldn’t be writing stories but creating strange worlds in 3D.
What is your relationship with digital culture?
Like this image of Julia Fox and her life-size latex doll.
What are your thoughts and experiences with the Dark web?
I don’t spend much time on the Dark Web, I prefer the Dark Forest.
What are your favorite subcultures and why?
I guess the meaning of subculture has changed massively since social media, like if we look at the original meaning, it’s something that goes against the mainstream, which seems impossible now since nothing is counterculture and everything is cyberculture. I think there’s still subcultures out there, but a lot of it better resembles aesthetics. That said, all the 2023 coquette memes made me lol.
What inspires you?
People, memes, music, diagrams, love, friendship.
How would you describe a perfect day?
A forest on mushrooms. Nice weather, no impending deadlines. Friends around a fire playing strange instruments. Alternatively, a trip to see some cryptid or UFO tourist trap—I can’t choose.
Any future projects coming up?
There’s a couple of short films in the pipeline. Also looking to expand my lectures/presentations to include more visual elements and performance.. That’s all I can say for now.
How do you deal with creative blocks?
It feels like an unavoidable part of the process tbh. Constant cycle of ego death and clarity, then you forget what was so bad about it in the first place, rinse and repeat.
Alright Günseli. I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
That’s soo hard but I’d say my all-time favourite is Sergei Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates. Also Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal is pretty cool, because puppets.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
This song by Current 93 — “In the Heart of the Wood and What I Found There”.