19 SPECIAL ISSUE eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Shankar Lestréhan agazine do you consider the participatory nature of your relationship with your audience? Direct relationship with the audience in a physical is definitely the most important one, in order to snatch the spirit of a work of Art. However, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to street and especially to the online realm increases: how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalised audience? I think today's distance of people with their environment, by the culture of untouchable systems and instant live posts, is crucial in how I organised my practice and in the way that I consider the relation of an art piece to its viewer. An instant discussion considering instant made story, things talking by themselves. I might help materials to express sometimes. Or on the contrary, an aesthetic cleanup, bringing an experience out of any thought for a moment! Before starting to seek what's behind the curtain. Eye contact is enough, or if further than this, doesn't have to be interested in any physical involvement from the spectator. Maybe to allow them to move, taking the circulation as part of the general composition. I like that the artwork wants to challenge the perceptions of status, scale, attention, so to consider the spectator super active and aware of its condition. We have really appreciated the multifaceted nature of your artistic research and before leaving this stimulating conversation we would like to thank you for chatting with us and for sharing your thoughts, Shankar. What projects are you currently working on, and what are some of the ideas that you hope to explore in the future? I'm currently working on an exhibition about archives and paper materials I'm gathering for a few years. It's closely linked to a forty pages text about the 'loss of the sensible experience' where questions are asked about effects of subversion, fake, pomp, double-sided, sometimes derisory processes or mechanisms of society that give rise to a vision or even fictional explanation of the backside of the set. That eventually, will follow some editorial rules for a general organisation while exploring a paper installation, some videos and audio interviews and a scenography, drawn on alive bodies. I'm also working on opening a program of residency in Kerala (south of India) for international artists and more. Thinkers, writers, philosophers. In a traditional house, meeting the culture and local artists during a three month period. I wish it could be an opportunity to connect those artists with galleries in India and some contemporary events like the Kochi Muziris Biennale. An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected]
SPECIAL ISSUE 4 Hello Nika and welcome to Peripheral ARTeries. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production we would invite to our readers to visit http://www.instagram.com/klausvonhahm in order to get a synoptic idea about your artistic production and we would start this interview with a couple of introductory questions. You have a solid formal training and after your studies at the Winchester School of Art in the United Kingdom, you nurtured your education with an MFA, that you are currently pursuing at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana: how did those formative years influence your evolution as an artist and help you to develop your attitude to experiment? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum as well as your experiences Nika Ham Lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia Peripheral ARTeries meets When I went to study abroad in England I did not take my painting canvas with me. In Winchester School of Art I could borrow the best photo and video gear available, so I started to focus on performance and self-documentation. Changing the medium from painting and drawing to performance, video and photography happened by chance – like a fun experiment with my friends – and it shifted my interest when choosing the medium for my artistic expression. There is a special relationship between my artistic practice, the work I do and the objects I personalize. Stories that evolve from it are connected with the amount of time I spend in a certain place, building or with the relationship I establish with a certain object, that I usually name and give it a personality. In my performances I emphasize movement, rhythm, dance. As a museum attendant I know the exhibition spaces better than other visitors and I spend more time there too. With this I carry the full responsibility to take care of the exhibition halls and the artworks exhibited there. I also have access to the surveillance camera system, that I can use as a “mirror with a delayed effect” and the delay allows me to save the videos and manipulate them later. I play in my works. I create comic situations and movement in Moderna galerija, that are not limited only to the institution where I work. I plan to perform in museums and galleries home and abroad, like I have done in Albertina museum in Vienna, Austria in 2017. When I introduce a music background the usually humorous footage transforms and carries a different emotial charge, that depends on the music and the spectator. The whole presents a rather personal narrative, underscored by the looped video, the layered images, and the deformation of the video format. I am interested in new technologies, that is why I always strive to learn new techniques in order to manipulate the images in the best way possible (like 3D animation) and to animate them into short dance loops. I suppose we are all trying to leave a mark in this world we live in and to document and save our physical presence. Most of the time this is only interesting to us and our parents, but I wish to use my narcissism in a way that might be interesting to somebody else as well. An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries
SPECIAL ISSUE 8 of collaborations with Laibach art group and your works for Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana direct the trajectory of your current artistic research? Nika Von Ham: To be honest - while I was studying at the Academy of Fine arts in Ljubljana, I was a die-hard traditional painter. I practiced realism and I did many portraits, because I considered it to be one of the most difficult things to achieve in painting. Not only to catch the resemblance, but also character of the person. I didn't even have a smart phone for quite some time. The real shift happened when I went to Winchester. There I was able to borrow anything from cameras, TVs, I could do screen printing etc. We never had that in Ljubljana. I also met a lot of interesting artists, so I was drawn into performance by my friends and artists there...I actually did my first collaborative performance there. I started to focus on my own body and selfdocumentation. I experimented with everything I could and learned a lot, so when I got back to Ljubljana I was more open minded about new artistic approaches. That's how I started with video and animation. I learned everything with Youtube tutorials and started to make 3D characters and animated them into short dance sequences and later posted the GIFs on Tumblr. I was amazed with all the possibilities of this medium...I could make anything I want and make it move the way I want. "Do you want raining fish from the sky? - HERE IT IS!" It's that simple! (well it gets this simple once you learn all the programs for video, animation etc. editing) Moderna galerija is a place where I as an artist really started to understand how the system works. I was directly involved with the art scene in my town and met (mostly) everybody who is anybody - from artists, curators, directors, ministers,...and also Laibach. I always admired their aesthetic and concepts. We became really good friends and I guess you can say they thought me a lot about life in general. I gained confidence and started to take more risks. I guess Moderna galerija was a place where everything started to get together...for my personal and professional practice. For this special edition of Peripheral ARTeries we have selected SQUAT, a stimulating project that our viewers can view at https://vimeo.com/327058288. What has at once impressed us of your insightful inquiry into the tension between the artist’s body to build a relationship agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries
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13 SPECIAL ISSUE Nika Von Ham eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral with the space is the way you provide the viewers with such a multilayered and enhances visual experience: when walking our readers through the genesis of SQUAT, would you tell us how did you develop the initial idea? Nika Von Ham: When I started working at Moderna galerija I was a museum attendant. So I was just sitting there all days and looking at the space and the art. I was there so much it felt like home (I was actually at work more than home). When I am at a certain place for a while I connect with it in a way…I could say I personalize it…sometimes even talk to it as if it was another human being. The space is a friend. I was soon appointed to the position of a receptionist...and there I had access to the surveillance system of the museum. We had really old cameras installed at Moderna galerija and the footage was glitch, in bad resolution…kind of retro. I loved it. I sometimes stayed at the museum until late hours of the night, and I started to joke around, did silly postures and moved myself around the space in an unconventional way. At first, I was just goofing off and entertained myself to pass my boredom. I was just sending these funny GIFs to my friends. When I had A LOT of material I started to look at it as a possible artwork. I decided to propose the project to Aksioma - the institute for contemporary art, Ljubljana. It got accepted and I got the support I needed to make Skvot happen. Skvot (in Moderna galerija) is a guerilla performance...so I did not ask for permission. I just started posting the videos on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Giphy). Honestly, I was quite nervous about what will happen when the director finds out. So, after a few days the deputy director called me. We had a meeting where I explained what this is and after the second meeting with the director I got a green light to continue (and keep my job). The project with Aksioma (with additional support from the City of Women Festival) lasted for about 3 months in which time we also produced flip-books that show a few selected GIF sequences on each side. We even started selling them at Moderna galerija, Museum of Contemporary art Metelkova, Mesta galerija, MGLC - International graphic center, ... This "guerilla performance" was quite quickly institutionalized I must say. It was almost too easy. We have particularly appreciated the way SQUAT deconstructs the quality of the ambience of the Moderna galerija, in the Ljubljana’s Museum of Modern Art, to create a personal narrative that subverts the categories of the space: how do you consider the relationship between the act of performing
SPECIAL ISSUE 16 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries and the exhibition space? Nika Von Ham: I would say that the relationship co-exists in my work. The act of performing revolves around the space I occupy. Meaning I take into account the physical barriers (walls and objects / artwork in the space) when I move across the space. The space also influences my actions when it comes to what I do in the space (in reference to a current exhibition). But there is absolutely a difference between my Squat performances in Moderna galerija where I work and other institutions I visit (like the Albertina museum in Vienna). Moderna galerija is my "home". I am there so much that the exhibition space is like my living room and I stay
eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Nika Von Ham agazine 17 SPECIAL ISSUE there many times completely alone. The space is different when the visitors are gone and I act differently in this space because I know it so well. I can almost walk through the space with my eyes closed. I actually tried that once and made it across the hall. In other institutions I have to obey their rules in order to get access for my performances. For Albertina I got a fixed schedule when I can do my performances and I did not have access to the surveillance room (like I have in Moderna galerija). There was also an attendant constantly watching me. So, when I was done, I gave them my external drive and got back 2TB of material. I spent quite some time getting over the blank tapes and to find the ones that I could actually use. It took almost a week to get a few minutes of footage out of
SPECIAL ISSUE 18 it. It was worth it. But before I went to perform in Albertina I spent quite some time there in order to get to know the space and to see how the surveillance cameras were installed. I scanned the exhibition, the artwork and the space so it became more familiar, but like I said...it can't be the same as my home base. There I was just a visiting guest that got cozy and homey for a while...like a vacation home I guess. But then I went back home. Marked out with such unique visual identity, your artistic research deeply struck us for the way it reflects the the need to explore the unexpected, to incite the viewer to make new personal associations. Austrian Art historian Ernst Gombrich once remarked the importance of providing a space for the viewers to project onto, so that they can actively participate in the agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries
creation of the illusion: how important is for you to trigger the viewers' imagination in order to address them to elaborate personal interpretations? In particular, how open would you like your works to be understood? Nika Von Ham: I would like the viewers to laugh. I think humor is extremely important in my life and in my art. When the viewers see the videos from the museum I want them to understand the space as something inviting. Usually it is a space with strict rules and the visitors behave in a certain way, because they always know they are being watched. When I break these rules, it is very playful and it takes the "seriousness" out of the normally conformal space. Secondly, I want the museum space to be understood in relationship with my eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Nika Von Ham agazine 19 SPECIAL ISSUE
SPECIAL ISSUE 12 own body. It is a symbiosis in a way. I kind of feel the space I occupy when I lay on the floor, ride around in chairs on wheels, smash myself into the wall etc. I befriend it and allow myself to even get bruised and scratched a bit. It's all love. I of course do not invite other people to do EXACTLY the same, because that is not really safe for any museum. But I do invite them to view the space differently, more playfully and to feel less dominated and overwhelmed by it. For my other works it is about the relationship between traditional art and new media art. So old combined with the new. The place of exhibiting is an online platform and a gallery space. The audience is different and the meaning also changes when a video is posted online or placed in a gallery or museum. Video in a museum is institutionalized, sort of restricted and appropriated for agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries
the space it occupies. Video that is posted online is more free and open to many more different interpretations that it gets from online participation (likes, shares, comments, tags,…) But I think art should always offer individual interpretation. If a person just wants to see a silly girl throwing herself around the museum floor or does funny videos...that's fantastic! Some might share my video and reference it to their current mood or as a visual reference for their own commentary on absolutely anything they want. This kind of participation makes my videos visible and they become a communication tool. Digital-visual society is more used to this kind of communication anyway, so when (my) art enters into the public sphere / use and is being appropriated to ones eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Nika Von Ham agazine 19 SPECIAL ISSUE
Nika Von Ham eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral 9 SPECIAL ISSUE individual desires - I consider it a success. You are a versatile artist and your multidisciplinary practice includes performance, drawing as well as video and animation, as the interesting Victory (Over The Sun) Dance: what does address you to such multidisciplinary approach? And how do you select a particular discipline in order to explore each aspects of your artistic journey? Nika Von Ham: I love to learn. When I get a particular idea about what I want to do I just find a way to do it. This meant I had to learn video editing, graphic design, 3D design and animation programs in order to make my ideas into reality. For the work Victory (Over The Sun) Dance I just wanted the characters dance - so I animated them to do so. I loved Maleviches rough drawings and the bulky / boxy bodies of the characters. Quite funny and aesthetic. When they move (being an actual play with costumes or my 3D digital characters) they get quite awkward and clumsy which is even funnier. I think the 3D digital design of the characters is something Malevich would have had in mind if the technology was available at that time. At some point I want to reconstruct the entire opera Victory Over The Sun and add different music to it. But that will take quite some time… My background in fine arts helps me with these new shifts into digital art. You think about perspective, proportions, colors, light,...the video or animation as a moving painting. And I have a digital canvas which has a fantastic cmd+c, cmd+v, cmd+z option / shortcut. I can make a drawing come to life, which brings me joy. And in some way, it is much more approachable to the digital society that is more drawn to animated pictures. Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco once remarked that "artists's role differs depending on which part of the world they’re in. It depends on the political system they aree living under": as an artist particularly interested in exploring political topics and current social situations, how do you consider the role of artists in our globalised and media driven contemporary age? Moreover, do you think that your artistic research responds to a particular historical moment? Nika Von Ham: I think the role of an artist is to address the current social and political situations and to present and make these heavy topics approachable to the public. In modern times the world is more connected, so we hear about everything online or in the news. The places that are really far away do not seem to be so far, because we hear about it, see pictures, videos and communicate with the people living there. So, it's not as foreign and is more approachable as it was 20 years ago. The means of communicating and showing your work and ideas is much easier, but because of the globalized and media driven contemporary age, your ideas can get buried under the mass amount of information. So, an artist that wants to be visible must find new and interesting ways of presenting him or herself in order to stand out from the crowd. If his / her work is interesting enough the online public will make sure that it is visible (sharing the content, commenting, promoting,…). Even the most remote artist can have a chance for their work to be seen. But because of this openness the role of an artist changed drastically. Not only the option to share their work as they see fit, but the artist also has a new role of a self-promotor. So, you have to build up your (online) persona and "sell" yourself. It is not so much about the art, as it is about your image as an artist. You have to engage into conversations, participate in events, write texts, be responsive all the time and on constant alert. That part is quite demanding, so you might not focus on the actual artistic production as much. Museums and galleries want to showcase different cultures and mediums, so their platform became more open and inviting to new practices and a younger generation of artists. The times we live in are quickly changing the way we perceive an artwork and it became less traditional, more participatory and inviting different generations of people, social classes, sex etc. to be fully involved in this era. The entire infrastructure of the museum adapted to its new function as an "entertainer". With all the workshops, lectures, events, openings, coffee shops, openings, parties…the museum is a fun place to be even if you are not particularly interested in art. The role of an artist changed, because the public changed and is more open to new ideas and new artistic approaches. The role of an artist can be really influential...especially with the reach they have via social media that basically brought up a generation of its users. They can share ideas, influences, visuals etc. that can shape ones opinion. Artists can have a mass online following and sell and exhibit their work like that. No middleman, which is quite liberating. But online is not the same as
SPECIAL ISSUE 10 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries the physical experience before an artwork that is exhibited in a specific way and takes into account the space it inhabits and the viewers that will enter the space. But because it's not possible to see everything in person, the online thing works pretty good. I think my artistic research reflects the time we are in now. We live in an era of mass surveillance, narcissism (meaning the culture of selfies and social "influencers"). I do the same basically, but using "unusual" means of documenting myself. I sometimes look like an idiot and I love it. When I am intrigued by something I document it and later think about why it was interesting to me in the first place. If the idea and the execution of it is good it will get picked up by the audience and / or an institution. Video Spot highlights the relation between your artistic work and your “day job: how does your everyday life's experience fuel your artistic research? Nika Von Ham: Life and art are connected. My everyday life influences my artistic practice and vice versa. I am in the position of an Artist at work, which usually means that the artistic production is sometimes left behind. Everybody needs to pay the bills and sometimes you are too tired to do the actual art. But in my case, I tried to achieve the impossible and combine both. I actually
Nika Von Ham eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral 9 SPECIAL ISSUE succeeded with no bad consequences. In Video Spot viewers see clips that are staged / performed for the camera, as well as moments that just happened while on the job. I like to push the boundaries of what I can do (that is normally prohibited) and still get away with it. In the end you can just call it art and it should be ok - in contemporary art absolutely everything is allowed as long as you can put it into the context of your art. I can bring a dog, smoke or run through the exhibition even though I keep telling people they are not allowed to do that while I am "on the job". In Video Spot I collaborated with an amazing American musician Alicia Enstrom. I was really interested in combining my videos with music and her soundtrack really made the piece what it is. The violin adds and eerie mood to it and can seem less funny than the short subversive actions from Squat. At least that's how people experienced it… I still think it's funny. But this work is meant as an installation piece. The actual "music video" is one aspect of it (since it is also made for Alicia to use for her own promotion of her music), but the work takes a new form when presented in a gallery space. The music becomes secondary to the video (usually it is the other
10 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries way around), and with the use of two projections overlapping creates a different view of the work that is adapted to the space it occupies. Like I adapt my body to the exhibition space when making these videos in the gallery, I also adapt the video to the gallery space to create an "ambient". Me being an artist and the place where I work being an art institution is of course relevant. I am surrounded by art and the people involved with art...so I am actually in the best environment for a young artist to be in. It has influenced my artistic practice and gave me more confidence to live in the art system, since I am in the belly of the beast... But being a worker in an institution and also being an artist that wants to get into the institution can also create a conflict. But a conflict can be a great thing to include into my future art, so everything is good. Another interesting work of yours that has particularly impressed us and that we would like to introduce to our readers is entitled Bunny and friends. Shot during your stay in Vienna in 2017, this stimulating video questions the unbalanced relationship between the materic quality of objects — as the drawings that you have reshaped — and the ethereal digital world of internet. How do you consider the influence of the digital realm — along with new symbols as QR codes — in your artistic research? Nika Von Ham: The drawings I used for Bunny and Friends were my old life-drawing sketches from my time at the Academy in Ljubljana. They didn't really have a purpose anymore, because they were a side product from my studies. Not really art, not really trash. The paper I used as a background for the drawings was basically cheap wrapping paper the Academy bought in bulk for the students. It was the only thing we got for free. I saved my drawings in a basement and they were just...there...for many years. I thought it was a great way to re-use them and actually give them a purpose, to exhibit them. It was a throwback to my years at the Academy and my parting with it in a way. The use of this "old" medium changed and was adapted to the technological era we are in. This physical drawing actually takes you to the parallel universe of the internet. It becomes data, a receiver – an instrument to take you to the digital world. So, the work Bunny and Friends is an installation piece (the QR code) that takes you to a video. The video from Vienna shows the wind-up Chinese One-Dollar shop toys that I played with at a friends party. I loved the toys and I just kept winding them and let them race across the table. It really reminded me of my performances in the museum, where I also had a limited surface I could move across and I had barriers (statues, benches, walls,...) I had to avoid. The same as Bunny and his friends. Again, this physical object (toy) becomes just bits of information in the computer and internet. What we see is not an object, just some pixels on the screen. So to sum up, I like the combination of everything – the physical, the digital, the new, the old. I think that combination reflects the times we live in perfectly. You are an established artist and over the years you exhibited widely in several occasions, including your recent solo exhibition DRAUGHT / ATTENDANTS IN THE DRAUGHT SERIES at the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova, in Ljubljana: how do you consider the nature of your relationship with your audience? Nika Von Ham: My work allows the audience to create their own interpretation of it. Sometimes it is of course suggestive, but overall, I just want my work to intrigue the audience and give them space to think. At first glance it may seem straight-forward (which it is in a way as well), but you can dig deeper and find some things even I didn't know were there. At the DRAUGHT exhibition I showed just one work - Video Spot. I wanted to keep it simple and just play with the projectors in the space in order to create overlapping videos and to distort the footage that can be seen in full online. It didn't make sense to just project the work straight onto a wall…that's a cinema. I had to think about how to present the work in a new way…intended for a gallery space. I had to think about the audience / visitors of course. How to make the exhibition more interesting so they will stop and see the work separated from other art in the museum. The space I occupied was isolated, so you had to step in and take a few minutes to watch the full (music) video. The video installation was successful and it really transformed the space. So when I think about the relationship with my audience I think about it in two ways actually – one is when I present the work to an online audience (here I have to use the horrible # and share the video to reach people...it's a different way of communicating) and the other is when the work is exhibited (here the audience is very selective – SPECIAL ISSUE
SPECIAL ISSUE eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral 9 Nika Von Ham only the ones that come to the museum / gallery will see the work). But I guess I just want a gallery or online visitor to be intrigued by my work enough to stop and to look at it. The attention span of an average person is very short, so if my work can stop a person to actually SEE. I have done my part. If later that person also THINKS about it...well I have won. Direct relationship with the audience in a physical is definetely the most important one, in order to snatch the spirit of a work of Art. However, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to street and especially to the online realm increases: how do you consider the role of emerging online technosphere — and platforms as Instagram — in creating new links between artists and worldwide audience? Nika Von Ham: In the age of social media, the artists have a chance to showcase the work to a bigger audience and worldwide. In this case I would say it is extremely important. Everything is more approachable and you can find and follow a variety of artists from every part of the globe. Artist can make their own statements that are freed from the curatorial process…they are their own curators of their online galleries. Art can also be freed of too much context that is usually needed if you are part of an exhibition. But because of the pressure of "likes" and "followings" on social media, the artists (sometimes unknowingly) succumb under this pressure and what they showcase on their online platform reflects the desires of the public. So, the art is made in order to get more public approval which destroys the artist in a way. He / She becomes the product for commercial use in a way...of course that is not always the case. It is also a breeding ground for every amateur to become an "artist". I don't mind amateur art production, but I think today EVERYBODY is an artist. It's overwhelming. People mostly do not differentiate from the "professionals" that work and make money from it (it is a job) and "amateurs" that just draw when they are bored or make some pictures with their iphones and call it #art. Professionals from the industry know the difference of course, but the rest of the people do not always know…they don't care really…I guess I shouldn't care either, but I do find it misleading in a way. The art can also be easily stolen, copied or appropriated by anybody. Recently we have seen headlines about famous musicians copying artist for their music videos and not asking / giving them credit. That happens a lot and I think it's good. The images / video / music or whatever we create is a copy. Either from nature or other work we were influenced by. Consciously and subconsciously. Art is a public domain, so when you create something good and interesting that and it is "stolen" – I guess it means it's good and it made an impact. There are good sides and bad sides of this virtual connection. But I would say mostly good if you know why you are using the internet and social media in the first place. Of course, there is no comparison to seeing the actual work in person. We have really appreciated the multifaceted nature of your artistic research and before leaving this stimulating conversation we would like to thank you for chatting with us and for sharing your thoughts, Nika. What projects are you currently working on, and what are some of the ideas that you hope to explore in the future? Nika Von Ham: I am always doing and thinking about art projects. I am doing some long-term projects with selfdocumentation and body transformation and about my obsessive impulses. One project also involves a cactus that I took on a museum trip in Vienna, another one a stolen ficus plant, another a bunch of four leaf clovers... And I am doing some video dance projects in between (I am not a dancer, I just love to dance). I also have a collaborative performance piece in mind in the near future together with my friends / artists involving dance, video, stand-up comedy, interactivity, drag,…perhaps a kids play even...we are all children anyway. I want of course to continue with Squat, but also to explore other ways of surveillance and control. I would like to learn more about hacking and intercepting wireless signals and to incorporate my performances into it... I guess I could say that I want to "squat" the digital world. I also started to flirt with VR, drones, motion capture... Considering how fast the world is changing, my interests might shift accordingly. There will always be new technologies I can work with and new ways I can present my ideas. But my interests in body, space, movement, old vs new will stay the same.
SPECIAL ISSUE 4 You have a solid training: after having earned your Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, you nurtured your education with a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and you eventually received your Masters of Fine Arts, from the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago: how did those formative years influence your evolution as a creative? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum direct the trajectory of your current artistic research? Heather Beardsley: Growing up I was told art was a hobby, not a real career path, so I did not go to art school for my undergraduate studies. Instead I went to UVA, where I double-majored in History as well as Art, and as a result, art never felt like a separate discipline to me; everything was just another facet of the same education. I think that the Heather Beardsley Peripheral ARTeries meets I work between art and science, both by emulating how scientists work and borrowing the visual language with which scientific research is communicated to a non-expert public. I use methods from zoologists to create somewhat convincing descriptions and illustrations for my creations. At times I have done this to question the authority these depictions are often unquestioningly given, other times in an attempt to borrow from said authority to validate my own work. I do this by playing with scientific display conventions, imitating the style of high-tech visualizations like spectrographs and 3D printing through low-tech craft media like modeling clay, cyanotypes, batik and embroidery. An interview by Josh Ryder, curator and Melissa C. Hilborn, curator [email protected] agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries Heather Beardsley is an American visual artist. In 2016-2017 she was awarded an International Artist Scholarship by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Fibers and Material Studies in 2015. She has exhibited work throughout the United States and Europe, as well as the UK, Austria, Germany, and Slovakia.
SPECIAL ISSUE 8 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries Distorted Depths (series), cyanotype of recycled plastic on paper 8” x 10”
11 SPECIAL ISSUE experience of beginning my education at a research university has always informed the researched-based nature of my work. Like writing a paper or putting together a presentation, art was another way that I would process the information I was learning. Concepts being discussed in my history classes would often make their way into the paintings and drawings I was working on because that felt like a natural way for me to map out my ideas. The interdisciplinary nature of my undergraduate studies continues to shape my art practice today, as I see the role of contemporary art to be more than an instrument of selfcritique but as a field uniquely positioned to discuss and critique other disciplines. By the time I graduated from UVA, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in art, but I didn’t feel prepared for an MFA program so I did a PostBaccalaureate Program at Maryland Institute College of Art. My time there taught me how to think about and articulate where my work fit within contemporary art. Continuing my education in an art school setting pushed me to consider my aesthetic choices more, especially how materials and processes can strengthen the concept of a work. For this special edition of Peripheral ARTeries we have selected Distorted Depths, an interesting series of cyanotype of recycled plastic on paper that our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article. What has at once captured our attention of your exploration of our fascination with with deep sea creatures is the way the unconventional aesthetics of your works highlights our elusive connection with natural environments, in our media driven contemporary age. When walking our readers through your usual workflow and process, we would like to ask you how did you develop the initial idea for Distorted Depths. Heather Beardsley: I began using cyanotypes in my work about 2 years ago. I had played with sun paper kits as a kid and forgotten about it, then rediscovered the technique when I was teaching an art class for primary school students. Over that time I have been making cyanotypes to create secondary images of other pieces I have made, either by using photographic images of works or making contact prints of sculptures and fibers pieces. I came up with the idea for Distorted Depths when I saw Science Gallery Detroit’s Open Call for their exhibition Depth, looking for projects related to the ocean. I knew I wanted to make a work addressing the problem of microplastic pollution, and creating cyanotypes of sea creatures using sculptures made from recycled plastic seemed like a powerful way to forge a connection between the source of the pollution and the animals most affected by it. It's important to remark that Distorted Depths aims to raise awareness about the growing quantity of microplastics in our oceans, as well as on the threat of microplastic pollution in general. In this sense, your work also invite the viewers to question the relationship between unprocessed environments and human presence. Gabriel Orozco once stated, "artists's role differs depending on which part of the world they’re in": does your artistic research respond to a particular cultural moment? In particular, do you think that artists can raise awareness to an evergrowing audience on topical issues, as Heather Beardsley eries Contemporary Art Peripheral agazine
SPECIAL ISSUE 12 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries sustainability and environmentalism, in our globalized age? Heather Beardsley: I think all artists’ work is a product, either directly or indirectly, of their culture and time. Making art that directly addresses contemporary issues is relatively new for me, and it wasn’t necessarily an intentional shift. I’ve always tried to let my work develop organically, and flow from my present interests. Political developments over the past few years in the USA and around the world have felt to me, as with many other people, like a call to action. I don’t know if it is just the proliferation of social media creating this impression, but it feels like society overall is becoming more politically engaged than at any other point in my lifetime, and politics has often felt inescapable. Therefore, even though I didn’t start out trying to make political work, and I don’t consider myself a particularly political artist, I think this feeling of accountability has influenced the way I am thinking about my work. I do think artists can raise awareness on topical issues, but to be effective we have to think carefully about the context and way that we present this kind of work. Sometimes I see political work that, due to the venue or the aesthetic choices, is inaccessible to people that don’t have a strong interest in contemporary art. There can be an element of “preaching to the choir”, that feels more like the artist is Distorted Depths (series) cyanotype of recycled plastic on paper 8” x 10” Distorted Depths (series) cyanotype of recycled plastic on paper 8” x 10”
13 SPECIAL ISSUE Heather Beardsley eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral Distorted Depths (series), cyanotype of recycled plastic on paper 8” x 10”
SPECIAL ISSUE 16 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries Distorted Depths (series), cyanotype of recycled plastic on paper 8” x 10”
eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Heather Beardsley agazine 17 SPECIAL ISSUE performing their ‘wokeness’ for their progressive community, rather than genuinely trying to raise awareness and shape discourse. One reason I was excited to participate in the Science Gallery Detroit’s Depth exhibition is that the show took place in Michigan Science Center, meaning Distorted Depths could be encountered by many people that wouldn’t necessarily seek out a contemporary art exhibition. We have particularly appreciated the way Distorted Depths addresses your audience to a multilayered experience and we daresay that your artistic practice seems to aim to look inside of what appear to be seen, rather than its surface. Austrian historian Ernst Gombrich once remarked the importance of providing a space for the audience to project onto, so that they can actively participate in the creation of the illusion: how important is for you to trigger the viewer's imagination in order to address them to elaborate personal associations? In particular, how open would you like your works to be understood? Heather Beardsley: I often try to have multiple layers of meaning in my work. I feel like my work’s relationship with viewers should be symbiotic, and as a visual artist this means that if I am asking for someone’s attention I should provide them with something that is interesting to look at without requiring any supplemental context. I think it is ungenerous to put artwork into the world that can’t be accessed without having studied art or reading an essay. I want to make work that can be encountered and appreciated solely by looking at it, and hopefully this visual experience entices viewers to want to then learn more about the project and read the statement. The conceptual nature of my work means that this added context will further illuminate the themes and reward the additional effort made, but I don’t want it to be strictly necessary to have a positive experience of my art. Technology plays an important role in your artistic reasearch, and as you have remarked in your artist's statement, you use methods from zoologists to create somewhat convincing descriptions and illustrations for my creations: Canadian multidisciplinary artist Angela Bulloch onced remarked "that works of arts often continue to evolve after they have been realised, simply by the fact that they are conceived with an element of change, or an inherent potential for some kind of shift to occur". Technology can be used to create innovative artworks, but innovation means not only that artists can create works that haven't been before, but especially to recontextualize what already exists: do you think that one of the roles of contemporary artists has changed these days with the new global communications and the new sensibility created by new media? Heather Beardsley: I don’t know that I would go as far as to say the role of artists has changed, but I think it’s undeniable that the effects of new technology and increasing globalization has led to the public consuming media at a higher rate than any other point in history. This means as cultural creators today, we are now dealing with a much savvier audience, which means that our work is being read, consciously and subconsciously, within the context of this ever-expanding media landscape and the references and contextual readings it carries with it. Some artists are addressing these changes more directly than others by adopting the language of new media, but I think to be an effective cultural contributor requires having self-awareness of
SPECIAL ISSUE 18 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries how your work relates to larger contemporary cultural and media trends. Another interesting work of yours that we would like to introduce to our readers is entitled Strange Plants, a stimulating embroidery series on found photograph. We have particularly appreciated the way your Strange Plants (series), embroidery on found photograph, 10” x 8” framed
19 SPECIAL ISSUE eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Heather Beardsley agazine series highlights the physical nature of art making, in relationship to such the apparently neutral approach of photography. New York City based artist Lydia Dona once remarked that in order to make art today one has to reevaluate the conceptual language behind the mechanism of art making: are your works created gesturally, instinctively? Or do you
SPECIAL ISSUE 12 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries methodically transpose geometric schemes? In particular, how do you consider the relation between the abstract nature of the ideas you aim to communicate and the physical act of creating your artworks? Heather Beardsley: Because I am working with found photographs in this series, there is a preexisting composition to work within so when I start sewing I have a general idea of what shape my embroidered interventions will take. Beyond that basic shape I allow myself work intuitively, often it feels more like the embroidery is growing organically on the photograph than the execution of a predetermined plan. Embroidery is such a labor-intensive and repetitive way of working that I think I would go crazy if I had to adhere to a stitch-by-stitch blueprint. Allowing myself the freedom to work intuitively turns this tedious process into something meditative, I am often thinking through and clarifying the conceptual aspects of the project while working. As a very tactile person myself, I engage in these kind of processes because of the satisfaction they give me, but based on feedback I’ve received I think a lot of other people also respond to this marriage of the conceptual with the tactile. I am also a big sci-fi fan, and sometimes I like to watch things while I’m doing embroidery, so I’m sure that’s one reason my work relates to so many science fiction themes. Ectopic Anatomy combines references to human body and such a surreal ambience, to invite the viewers to explore the point of convergence between the figurative and the abstract, to challenge the viewers to explore realms of the imagination, how do you consider the relationship between the real and the imagined playing within your artistic research? Heather Beardsley: I think that relationship has been a critical aspect of my recent work and research. As I said before, I think a lot of my ideas Strange Plants (series), embroidery on found photogra
eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Heather Beardsley agazine 19 SPECIAL ISSUE are influenced by sci-fi, and the potential that genre has to use allegory and alternative realities to generate discussion about philosophical questions and contemporary issues. Even though I am not directly quoting the ph, 11” x 14” framed
SPECIAL ISSUE 12 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries language of science fiction in my work, I am pushing past the boundaries of reality to call attention to important discussions happening today. I also have a lot of fun taking things to absurd extremes, and I appreciate when people are able to detect the latent humor in my work. Strange Plants (series), embroidery on found photograph, 11” x 14” framed
19 SPECIAL ISSUE eries Contemporary Art Peripheral Heather Beardsley agazine We have really appreciated the elegance of your artworks: how do you structure your process in order to achieve such brilliant results? In particular, how do you develop your textures? Heather Beardsley: Material exploration is one of my favorite parts of being an artist, and is one of the things that inspires and propels me to keep making new work. I am a bit of a process junkie, even when I start with a fairly straight-forward idea for a project, along the way I tend to add new steps that complicate things. I get frustrated with myself sometimes for doing this, because of the amount of time it then takes me to complete each piece, but overall I do love making them and a lot of people I talk to really respond to the level of detail and tactility my work often has. You are an established artist and over the years your artworks have been showcased in a number of occasions, including your recent participation to the 8th World Textile Art Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art, in Madrid, as well as your two person show Red Thread with Guido Nosari, at the Shangyuan Art Museum, in Beijing: how do you consider the nature of your relationship with your audience? Direct relationship with the audience in a physical space is definitely the most important one, in order to snatch the spirit of a work of art. However, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to street and especially to the online realm increases: how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalized audience? Heather Beardsley: My work is very physical, both in regard to how much physical labor it takes me to create each piece and in the layers of texture of the works themselves, so it is a big priority to try to create as many opportunities as I can for people so experience them in person. However, there are a lot of factors that limit the number of physical exhibitions I can do, especially money and time.
10 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries SPECIAL ISSUE Strange Plants (series), embroidery on found photograph, 8” x 10” framed
Heather Beardsley eries agazine Contemporary Art Peripheral 9 SPECIAL ISSUE
SPECIAL ISSUE 10 agazine Special Edition Contemporary Art Peripheral eries I have been participating in as many international residencies and exhibitions as I could the last few years, and figuring out the logistics of how to get artwork from one state or country to another is a very complicated process, especially when many programs and venues don’t have the resources to cover all of the costs associated with shipping artworks. In Ectopic Anatomy (series), pen on shrink film with thread, on wooden panel, 20 cm x 20 cm