Organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at Kastamonu University, the panel program titled "Women Who Create, Transform, and Narrate: Art and Digitalization" was held on March 9, 2026, as part of our university's 20th anniversary celebrations and in honor of International Women's Day.
After the moment of silence and the National Anthem, the program began with a speech by Assist. Prof. Dr. Sofia Cihan Canbolat is a faculty member of the Graphic Design Department and advisor to the Digital Transformation Student Society. In her speech, Canbolat, who touched on the historical role of women in art production, stated that the new tools and opportunities offered by digitalization help make women artists more visible, accessible, and effective in their production processes.
She also emphasized the importance of activities that encourage students' active participation in culture, art, and technology by providing information about the Digital Transformation Student Community's initiatives.
As part of the program, the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Prof. Dr. Erol Yıldır, delivered the opening speech. In his speech, Dean Prof. Yıldır stated that International Women's Day on March 8 is a meaningful awareness day for highlighting the important roles women play in science, art, and social life, and he emphasized the significance of women's contributions to cultural production in the field of art. He also emphasized that digitalization transforms artistic production tools and opens new fields of creative expression.
During the program, the short film "Annemin Eli," which won a special award in the Ministry of Commerce's short film competition on the theme of "Cooperativism," was presented to the audience. Additionally, a concert performed by the polyphonic choir of Musicology students, conducted by Assist.Prof.Dr. Elçin Ergin Talaka was presented to the audience.
In the second part of the program, a panel titled "Women Who Create, Transform, and Narrate: Art and Digitalization" was held. The panel was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif Tarlakazan. At the panel, academics evaluated the relationship between artistic production processes and digital transformation through their respective fields.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serap Yıldız evaluated the use of digital technologies in sculpture art and the works of female artists producing in this field in her presentation titled "Women Sculptors Using Digital Technology."
Assist.Prof.Dr. Elçin Ergin Talaka addressed the effects of the digitalization process on music production and the representation of women in her presentation titled "The Rhythm of Algorithms: Music and Women's Representation in the Age of Digital Transformation."
Assist.Prof.Dr. Sümeyra İlhan Civliz evaluated the new forms of expression and the evolving production practices emerging in contemporary painting art in her presentation titled "Contemporary Transformation in Painting Art."
Assist.Prof.Dr. Birsen Ergün, in her presentation titled "The Impact of Digital Design Processes on Artistic Production: A Case Study of Jewelry Design," conveyed the relationship between digital design tools and traditional art practices with examples in jewelry design.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sofya Cihan Canbolat, in her presentation titled "Producing Women, Transforming Tools: New Creativity in Digital Illustration," evaluated the development of digital illustration, AI-supported production processes, and the visibility of female artists in the field of digital production.
Within the scope of the panel, the effects of digital technologies and AI-supported processes on art production, interdisciplinary approaches, and the new production and visibility areas gained by women artists with digitalization were also discussed.
At the end of the event, while participation certificates and gifts were presented to the moderator and panel speakers, the Polyphonic Choir of Musicology Students also received their certificates. The program concluded with the participants being thanked and the celebration of International Women's Day on March 8.
