Not Random Art | Page 32

people, smell or sound etc, I can start thinking about what to do and how to do it.

I try to approach every project with an open mind, with no pre-thoughts. Therefore, often when I am invited to art competitions or art commissions accompanied by particular wishes, I do not agree with their choices of the particular site. I am never afraid of arguing for what I think will be a better solution for a site specific art project. Sometimes they listen, sometimes not.

How do you see the relationship between emotional and intellectual perception of your work? In particular, how much do you consider the immersive nature of the viewing experience?

Working with visual art, for me the viewing experience is crucial. Not only by viewing, but also experienced by the presence of your body.

I have a three-dimensional mind, by that I mean I easily read two-dimensional drawings in scale and convert them to three-dimensional visions in my mind. When the idea is ready, I often have a clear inner view of how the art project will look like, and how it together with its surroundings will be perceived and experienced. I have no problems working in different scales, neither in a maquette nor in real one-to-one. It is crucial to understand the right scale. The real challenge is to explain the art idea and my visions in such a manner that people not used to understanding drawings and scale, or holding a skepticism towards art in general, still can perceive the project. An analogue, old fashioned maquette is a good tool to break through. It is so much easier to raise enthusiasm around a physical maquette than watch it digital on a screen. I believe that if the art project is not able to touch the audience emotions in a way, it is very hard to reach their intellectual perception of it. Especially when you are making art projects in public spaces, which I mostly do.

Before leaving this conversation we would like to pose a question about the nature of the relationship of your art with your audience. Do you consider the issue of audience reception as being a crucial component of your decision-making process, in terms of what type of language is used in a particular context?

I would say yes, the issue of audience reception is a crucial component because my interests are to work in public areas and site specific. I am not the type going deep into the forest to make art only for myself and my camera. I want my art to intervene where people are. I am happy when I with an art point of view, manage to change the ugly sites, the left overs and pee-infected underground pathways where no one really wants to go. But art cannot save a bad urban project, by being placed on top. The art way of thinking must be part of the process from the very beginning.

I have added another challenging dimension to several of my projects, by proposing art connected to infrastructure; like speed and therein the moving perspective. The audience has no more than a few seconds to perceive the art project. So the goal is that the art project must be simple enough to tickle their emotions and curiosity during the two-three seconds of perception, and contain enough complexity to keep developing further in their mind after passing it .

There are few artistical “guidelines” that you follow in your projects. Among others,

• The artist must dare to propose art projects outside the defined art world

• The artist and her idea must be able to withstand a collaborative process.

Why are they particularly important for you?

Well, I early realised that the art milieu was quite small and narrow minded, especially towards artists who are interested in site specific art. When I graduated in the middle of the nineties, site specific art projects and public art was esteemed with low value, and in many ways still are. I can understand that, seen from an investment point of view; site specific art works have no value in the art market, everyone is running after the pot of gold. That is also why there are so few art critics and interesting articles about site specific and public art. With no publicity, the theme does not seem to exist, neither artists connected to them.

I was restless and ambiguous, I saw potentials for site specific art projects in more or less undiscovered areas, like infrastructure and highways. And most important, I did not believe in being discovered by some powerful curator or gallery that would help me, so I decided to make it by my self, build up my career outside the defined art wold.

There were no focus at the areas that interested me, I even got feedback from other artists that what I did provoked them. I felt quite alone, but I manage to create and bring several big art projects to fruition, which has given me an extraordinary experience and knowledge. I could not at all take that for granted if I had chosen the normal path. The choice I did back then, was one of my smartest choices I have done in life.

nc erat velit, aliquet non consectetur non, placerat eget sapien. Donec pellentesque, enim ac gravida congue, lorem velit aliquet turpis, non adipiscing mauris dui at nisi. Nulla lobortis sagittis ligula, nec tristique nisl iaculis a. Proin cursus mi a nunc bibendum fermentum. Integer ultricies arcu et nunc interdum id sagittis mauris pharetra. Duis elementum aliquam eros, nec egestas orci laoreet eget. Nunc erat velit, aliquet non consectetur non, placerat eget sapien. Duis elementum aliquam eros, nec egestas orci laoreet eget. Nunc erat velit, aliquet non consectetur non, placerat eget sapien. Duis elementum aliquam eros, nec egestas orci laoreet eget. Nunc erat velit, aliquet non.Fusce sit amet sem nibh. Phasellus rhoncus imperdiet egestas.

Nunc erat velit, aliquet non consectetur non, placerat eget sapien. Duis elementum aliquam eros,

Maecenas elit nunc, porttitor non tincidunt nec, scelerisque vel dolor. Suspendisse consectetur ma-uris vitae odio semper euismod. Curabitur in enim augue. Curabitur vel tincidunt odio. Integer volu-tpat tempus nunc, sed molestie velit pellentesque eu lacinia purus.