Interview Sol twice
Start Questions for interview
What kind of work do you make?
What kind of mediums do you use?
What are you making now?
Is your work involved with social issues? To a larger context?
Connected to films, text, books, other work or makers?
Is your work about form?
How did your interest arise in …..?
What do you want to tell with them?
How do you see the future of the work? Exhibitions?
1. Cihad interview Solange
C:When I check your works I see a lot of technological devices, computer screen and smartphones ect. Why do you work with this kind of objects?
S: It’s something that is all around us now, you have to have it, everybody has one, so it is an easy object to use. It’s easy to related to the work.
C: The text of Florian we talks about nonhuman, human world. We could say nonhuman are objects, that surround us and according to text if you want to create a social theory about nonhuman object, we need to consider nonhuman with human. And what do you think about it, because I see in your works with existing objects and trying to understand their language.
S: Yes, I didn’t read the text yet
C: When I see your works you consider them as an object. With solo, with something physical and real.
S: Yes, but sometimes I like to questing that, because some people consider the object as things and have an intimacy with a screen for example, like a phone. So that’s why I choice those objects. Because I see them as objects, but how do we get intimacy with those things, that’s a big question in my work.
C: According to the text, we design those objects, those object also shape us, in a way. Maybe your also questioning those behaviours.
S: Yes, It is more the system of humans
C: Sorry, I started with some hard questions..
S: it’s okay..
C: And for example the photobook project, you use as theme the Hema’s photobook template in order to produce your photobook. What was your intention? Because I remember you made a book with photographs of Rietveld building. You background is also related to photography, but now you make different kinds of works, how did you manage this shift, to let’s call it ‘techno’ art, technological art, net- art?
S: I think with photography what you also saw in the photos does where very aesthetic and minimal, I still like the minimal feel/style, but I really found it hard to get a concept in my photography. So that’s why I shift to other mediums, and just let the medium flow by the concept. So not be really precise like I use photography, I start with a concept and eventually the medium will involve. So photography I only use as documentation.
C: How do you choice your medium for you projects, how do you decide it?
S: uh.. (thinking)
C: Because I see you are interdisciplinary, not using just one medium.
S: No, indeed I like to use all different kind of mediums, but I think the work as a lot to do with the medium. So during my research when I have a clear idea than I search for the right medium to go along with. The medium is a big part of the message. So I experiment with different mediums to find the right one.
C: Then I don’t have to ask this question, because you already explain it. I wanted to ask you how do you create you projects? Can you tell us about the process? For example in the beginning of the photobook you sad this concept doesn’t fit in my method.
S: No, because you already starting with a medium
C: Maybe you could explain this process, because it was important for me
S: I think the photobook starts with a medium and that was a struggle, because I always work from an concept not the form. So that’s way I turned a little bit around for myself, to work with. So I started with a book, but it was more the concept behind it, so I had a concept to work with and the medium involved eventually.
C: At the other hand, I see you are trying a lot. For example photobook you made a lot of photobooks, but the result wasn’t, something between two covers, it was an installation.
S: Yes, I like to experiment a lot, because you can see different kind of angles of your concept, and I think that’s important for your process. Otherwise you are not open enough for other inputs.
C: Do you have a proper concept, like you are following this concept, or this idea?
S: I have a method, I’ll show you, this was the latest version, and it changes over time. I’m really focusing now on the way of working, the process. So you have a start, the other are options, so you don’t have to follow them all. But I notice that I following all the steps. So start, copy, combine, transform, and create something different. I did this process during the photobook and also other projects without really noticing that’s I’m doing all the steps. So now I really see this process for me, so now I’m going to work with this method for each project where I get my hands on. So to see what happens.
C: It’s a very good structure
S: Yes, it’s exactly kind of normal to work like this, it’s really natural, al lot of people doing it already, but to know is nice. But now I know I still want it to be spontaneous. Because normally I do this without knowing, now the steps are so clear, copy then combine, to I have to get lose again to get that spontaneous back in the work. Otherwise I’m to focus on the method.
C: Really good, I’ll take a look
S: You can try it, with your own work!
C: Okay, I want to ask the relationship within your works, maybe you can say something about it? We could say technology is the main theme between your works
S: The relation between them, I think they make each other stronger. Because a some of them are also a little part of the whole idea. For example when you have a space with all the works they still fit together.
C: Or example you say ‘they make each other stronger’, I can see from you screen project. You use computer screens beside this project you make ‘fake’ screens, but normally they are different works right?
S: Yes, I see them apart, but they are connected together to. I think all of the work connects to each other, but that’s because the all have the same concept.
C: Okay, my last question is what is your next project?
S: I’m currently working on a video with old commercials. I have the broken beamer, so I’m making a video specially for that beamer.
C: So, it’s it also related for your final project or is it something else?
S: It’s just to try out, I think we now have still space and time to experiment to see what happens. During the assessment they advise me to do more editing.
C: What do you mean with editing, editing your projects?
S: In the sense of making an own story like the photobook project, but also editing with video or text. I’m just want to experiment with it.
C: Do you have any idea of you final project? Maybe a vague idea could you say something?
S: I think it’s still as to do with questioning technology and media objects. And I hope it’s something physical, I still want to make things, and make an experience for the audience.
2. Benjamin interview Solange
B: When I read your texts, I found this main themes, so that’s ‘Free Art’, ‘Situationism’ and ‘Process’, you’re really into process. So what I’m, first interested is what is your take on Situationism in your practice?
S: I had a lot of comments during the assessment about this topic. It’s something that I’m holding on for a while, it was like a comfort zone. My feedback was to let go, so now I was really questioning myself what did I actually learn from them. Which parts do I have to remember or think about during my practice. I think it is the process where they really helped me in, the way of working. In the beginning I thought my work was about ‘Free’ form or art, eventually the way I work is about that and not the result. So my process is a kind of free way of working.
B: But way to let go, it was a big influence in your practice?
S: Because I’m losing my own choice in my work. Now I want to combine the Situationism with my own thoughts and this time for my own practice.
B: I had the same experience with Situationism when I wrote my bachelors thesis. Getting in to a kind a contemporary frame that’s really hard.
S: They had a kind of utopia idea and that’s always hard to involved with your own work, even with the audience because sometimes it’s hard to understand to. So it’s good that Situationism to have as a base but now it’s the time to focus more on my own voice and work.
B: So, your pretty much going past it so your take on Situationism is completely gone?
S: No, I think they still influence me.
B: Do you find any parts in your childhood that got you very close to the Situationism?
S: No, not really. I bump in to Situationism during a lecture from Florian Cramer almost three years ago, and that really trigger my interested. During that time open source was really a hype and I really saw a connection between them two. So for my bachelor thesis I research them and connect them to an art practice.
B: Like you sad, it’s utopian, it’s an ideal what you can strike for.
S: Yes, but I think open source is also an utopian thought and don’t really exist. The ‘real’ open source thought really looks like the Situationism manifest, but in this time and with all does licenses, open source does not exist. At that point I found out that the connection between them is lost. After that I was looking for a different kind of definition like ‘free’ art or frame.
B: So you’re interested in utopias?
S: Sometimes, you’ll not see them back in my work, but it’s nice to read about them like an escape form the real world.
B: That’s good. Well I was reading about this ‘free art’ and then I found Conditional Design.
S: Yes, that’s a group of designers from Amsterdam. There manifest has some points that connected to the Situationism and a kind of ‘open frame’ work. The results that they make it’s not my kind of taste, but they also more focused on design. But it’s nice to see that there are more people and makers interested in this kind of ideas.
B: What you got from Conditional Design, is that your now focussing more on process.
S: Yep.
B: And why on process?
S: uh.. Good question. I think during your process for an maker is more important and sometimes more interesting than the end result. The journey to the results is much more fun as an artist. To show that to your audience it’s much harder, that’s a really challenge. Because some project the process is part of the result.
B: Okay, so I’m interested has your work on process also influence your own process?
S: ?
B: I know it’s a question in a question, but I’m interested in whether your work has infected your way of working?
S: I think I know what your mean. Before I wasn't conscious of the way I was working, but now I really have a method that I follow. The focus is now more on the process than before.
B: And your future practice?
S: My process?
B: About affecting your process, about change, you talk a lot about change.
S: What I like to do is test my method with other makers. I want to try out if this method could be used by others or others practices. Could it be a creative tool?
B: I’m interested in how it will change your audience, you want to effect people in a sense. How do you think your audience will be effected?
S: Are we still talking about the process? I’m not sure what you mean.
B: I’m sorry, let me clarified. I or last talk we were talking about that your where interested and focussing on your audience. And you want it to make your audience change their process?
S: I want to change their point of view on certain topics or things. I’m not sure this has to do with process. It’s more I want them to question certain things with my work.
B: Why do you want to change the audience?
S: I don’t want to change them, but there point of view. My work is about social issues, and therefore it ‘s has to do something with the you.
B: So basically you are focussing on the artistic process, and you believe that the process of your art will also affect your audience. Because your art is about the process in a sense.
S: Kind of, but I don’t always show the process in a work. So sometimes the end results will be enough.
B: I end with the last question, it’s been very interesting. What are your thoughts on a successful future art project? For example what do you see, what is your ideal for a successful art project in the future?
S: God, I don’t know. What is successful?
B: Something which apparently affects your audience?
S: hmm.. To affect your audience it has to be somewhere to show. Otherwise you can’t affect them. So it will be successful when you can reach the audience with your work. It’s hard to get notice because my your is between fine art and media/tech art so where does it belong?
B: There is an interesting thing of defining your work, how would you define, or how would you like say what’s it about?
S: To be continued…