INTERACTIVE ART EXHIBITION: HI, IT’S BLANDA
‘HI, IT’S BLANDA’ IS AN INTERACTIVE ART EXHIBITION BY THE SWISS CONTEMPORARY ARTIST BLANDA, IN COLLABORATION WITH OBEY AND BERLIN BASED CREATIVE AGENCY, ONLINE JOURNAL AND FEMALE COLLECTIVE EVE W/O ADAM.
RUNNING FROM OCTOBER 3RD TO OCTOBER 23RD 2015, AT BERLIN MITTE’S PLATOON KUNSTHALLE, THE SHOW’S ESSENCE REVOLVES AROUND THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE DIGITAL SPECTRUM AND ANALOGUE REALM. TRANSLATING MESSAGES OF FOLLOWERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE INTO REAL LIFE CANVAS ILLUSTRATIONS, THE EXHIBITION WILL RUN IN TWO PHASES: THE CREATION AND DECONSTRUCTION OF ONE MAJESTIC MASTERPIECE.
OVER A COURSE OF TWO WEEKS, YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LET YOUR MIND RUN FREE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT BY PERSONALLY GETTING IN TOUCH WITH BLANDA, WHO WILL INTERPRET AND INCORPORATE YOUR MESSAGES AND PICTURES INTO THE ARTWORK. YOU CAN TELL ABOUT AN INTERESTING THOUGHT YOU HAD OR JUST A FUNNY STORY, TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU LOVE, YOUR FAVOURITE OBJECT, CITY, FOOD OR PET, SHARE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU OR EVEN SEND A PHOTO OF YOUR LOVED ONE. THE GOAL IS TO CREATE AN INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ARTIST AND THE OBSERVER. THE FINAL OUTCOME: A REFLECTION OF A CURRENT STATE OF MIND OF OUR INTERNET GENERATION.
THE ENTIRE INPUT WILL BE CAPTURED IN ONE IMMENSE 4X5M CANVAS, WHICH WILL BE DIVIDED INTO SEGMENTS OF ONE SQUARE METER. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF THE WORK ON EVE W/O ADAM’S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, UNDER #HIITSBLANDA.
STARTING OCTOBER 9TH THE SQUARES OF CANVAS WILL HIT OUR ONLINE POP UP SHOP,HIITSBLANDA.TICTAIL.COM, AND YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SPECIAL PRE-SALE PRICE OF 90€/M2 BEFORE THE OPENING NIGHT.
WE WILL CELEBRATE THE VERNISSAGE ON OCTOBER 16TH, WHERE BLANDA WILL SLICE SQUARES OF CANVAS LIVE AND GUESTS WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR PIECES OF ART HOME DIRECTLY, AT 125€/M2. SHOULD THERE BE ANY REMAINING PIECES, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE AT PLATOON KUNSTHALLE AND ONLINE AT HIITSBLANDA.TICTAIL.COM UNTIL OCTOBER 23RD.
BLANDA, BORN AND RAISED IN SWITZERLAND, MOVED TO NEW YORK TO ENROLL IN THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS (SVA) IN 2007 WHERE SHE RECEIVED THE SILAS H. RHODES SCHOLARSHIP. HER STYLE, A MÉLANGE OF COLLAGE, PRINTMAKING, DRAWING AND PAINTING, CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF HER PROFESSORS AND AFTER GRADUATING 2010, SHE WAS SNAPPED UP BY THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR A COVETED ART DIRECTOR POSITION. SINCE THEN, INTERNATIONAL BRANDS INCLUDING OBEY, KIEHL’S, VOLVO AND DC SHOES, ELENA GHISELLINI, TOPSHOP AND BARBARA BUI HAVE COMMISSIONED BLANDA FOR ARTIST COLLABORATIONS AND MEDIA OUTLETS SUCH AS VOGUE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, VICE, WWD, GLAMOUR MAGAZINE, ELLE AND ROLLING STONE HAVE COVERED HER WORK. SHE CURRENTLY LIVES AND WORKS BETWEEN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES.
GET TO KNOW THE FABULOUS ARTIST IN OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BELOW:
IF YOU WERE TO ASSIGN THE CITY OF BERLIN THREE DEFINING EMOTIONS, WHICH WOULD YOU NAME?
These aren’t three separate emotions but Berlin to me kind of feels like one of those mornings when you are slightly hungover and the last night is still present but you are feeling really great and creatively motivated about the day to come. Anything seems possible.
WHAT IS ESPECIALLY STRIKING TO YOU ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF CONSTRUCTION AND DECONSTRUCTION?
It sums up life. Anything in the world is based on the process of creation and decomposition. The tension between the two is the law of duality that makes the world what it is. In a non-linear sense of course, there is a beginning and an end, followed by another beginning and another end and so on. It’s a continuous, cyclical movement.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE VISION OF INVITING AN AUDIENCE TO BE PART OF THE CREATION OF THE ART WORK?
I am most inspired by people. Dialogue is the base of any creative process. I usually work very secludedly and the idea of having a channel through which I can open up communication to anyone in the world is really intriguing! We have all of these means of communication and interconnectivity at our fingertips today. I like the idea of taking advantage of that digital platform to then create something very tangible, analogue.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE MESSAGES YOU’LL RECEIVE?
I have no idea. I am just gonna go with whatever happens. But I am sure that any sort of external input will trigger some creative flow.
AND IS THERE SOMETHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY SCARE YOU AWAY A LITTLE?
Scared is the wrong word for it but I am definitely approaching this with a healthy portion of respect and fully aware of how crazy the project is. The sheer size of the art piece I am going to be making (4×5 Meters) is very daunting especially because I only have about 10 days to complete the piece. That being said, I also love a challenge so I am equally excited and nervous to get started.
Another obstacle is the interactive aspect of the project. I want people to send me inspiration for the piece. I would be so stoked to receive texts and email and voicemails from strangers telling me a story that I can listen to while I paint it onto the canvas. Or maybe I will get to paint a portrait of someone’s mother because a person texts me a picture of their mother. How cool will it be to show the final canvas on the opening night and have visitors recognize their contribution to it somewhere in there…It is meant to be a collaboration between me and whomever wants to participate!
TELL US ABOUT THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT.
I have no solid plan for what I am going to make since there is a whole interactive element that I cannot predict. It’s out of my control to a certain extent which I like. I am going to just have to roll with it and take it one step at the time. Sounds like it will be a good life-lesson.
The idea of cutting it up and selling the piece by the Square meter during the opening night on October 16th is also turning out to be a bit of a technical obstacle. But it’s going to happen one way or another!
ACRYLIC OR OIL?
Acrylic. Oil wouldn’t dry fast enough for this particular project
CURRENT PROJECTS?
There are a few but the most current one is a capsule collection for Barbara Bui which we are launching in Paris next week. It will consist of hand painted leather jackets, bags and a limited series of art prints on cashmere scarfs.
DAWN OR NIGHT?
Dawn. Unless it’s a clear night. I love seeing the stars.
BOOZE OR MARY J?
I don’t discriminate.
YOUR FAVORITE RECORD ATM?
The first record I ever bought was The Score by Fugees. I recently rediscovered that one and am having a whole new love affair with it!
BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD?
Can’t decide yet. Am still looking. Always open to suggestions!
5 RULES TO GIRL POWER?
Be honest, stay true to yourself, support other girls, never be a hater, always stay positive.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CUSS WORD?
Shitfuck
4 THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I knocked out my 5 front teeth in a bike accident when I was 4 years old. They grew back about 3 years later…
My second Matura major was physics. I have an arts and physics degree. I was really into nuclear and astro Physics.
I don’t own a hair dryer or a TV.
My car’s name is Pablo (named after Neruda, Picasso, Escobar and also my childhood guinea pig). I like to name objects of utility.
SEXIEST MEN ALIVE?
Somehow I can only think of dead ones…Paul Newman and James Dean would be high up on that list.
YOU NEVER LEAVE YOUR HOUSE WITHOUT?
Headphones.
ANY WEIRD HABITS?
Yes. Lots in fact.
MOTTO YOU LIVE BY?
Let things come to you.
NEXT PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION?
Complete analogism (is that a word? If it’s not it should be). The next generation’s revolutionaries are going to be the ones without any of the technical devices that have become seemingly indispensable. Any movement demands a counter movement so it seems logical for people to crave realness in a digital age.
THE NEXT CITY TO LIVE IN?
Berlin, obviously.