[Interview] From Actor to Artist… Portraying the aesthetics of the virtual world
“Acting is my calling. I’ve been doing it since I was 8 years old. But I started to wonder, ‘Is this the only way for me to share my story?’ To express my overflowing curiosity and imagination, I needed another outlet. That’s where the stage of digital art came in.”
Writer Muriel Sago (25) is a versatile artist of Argentine nationality. Utilizing her nearly 20 years of experience as an actor, she has built a unique portfolio in content creation and digital art. Her inspiration stems from her boundless curiosity and rich imagination. The artist reminisces that her pursuit of other art forms naturally followed her acting career and she has had the opportunity to explore various mediums. She is currently focused on abstract and fantastical visual art, driven by the desire to tell stories that do not rely on her appearance or physical body in a completely new world. At last year’s Art in Metaverse exhibition held in Korea, Muriel showcased her unique experimental video. In this interview, we hear directly from Muriel about her pursuit of ‘transformative acting.’
You started out as a child actor and have since become a veteran actor. How did you become an artist?
“I started acting when I was 8 years old. Looking back, I think I was even acting on my own before that. (laughs) Even when I played in the garden as a child, I enjoyed playing role-playing games and immersing myself in my own world. I studied acting in college and have a bachelor’s degree in it. However, as time passed, I wanted to expand the space of storytelling. I thought that if I could express myself visually in a way that surpassed my appearance and movements, I could tell even broader stories.”
It seems that your extensive acting experience may have influenced your approach to artistic expression. Is that the case?
“I was very curious and had a rich imagination since I was very young. Growing up in the countryside, I played with insects, birds, and all kinds of things like discarded bones, rocks, and feathers, unleashing my imagination. Nature was abundant with shapes and forms, and I was always fascinated by them. After starting acting, my thirst for curiosity and imagination grew even stronger. Especially, I broadened my worldview through movies. I was greatly influenced by Hayao Miyazaki, Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro, and others. Purely expanded imagination and creative freedom are reflected a lot in my current work.”
What kind of work do you create primarily? Could you introduce some representative themes and motifs?
“My childhood experiences and my career as an actor have developed my imagination and creativity. Imagination has expanded my world, and creativity has formed a sensitive connection with the expanded world. These abilities are fully utilized in my work. For example, issues related to death are something that inspire me in a very primal and powerful way. Organism and eroticism are also poetic spaces that I pursue.”
If there is a particular artwork you would like to introduce, could you specify one?
“I remember my first works the most. They are two abstract audiovisual pieces titled ‘Chronicles of Imagination’ and ‘Origin of Cry,’ which deal with different textures and shapes. This was an attempt to give visual coherence to a poetic language full of symbolism and metaphor. These works were the result of expanding the imaginative world and developing a sensitive connection in that expanded world. In the new visual world, I am experimenting with various styles, collaborating with colleagues such as art directors and photographers to deepen the aesthetics. I want to continue to showcase various aspects on stages that replace the real world.”
I would like to hear your opinion as a digital artist on the art metaverse.
“Although the term ‘metaverse’ has become a hot topic in the art world, I don’t think anyone really knows exactly what it is yet. Nevertheless, we can intuitively feel that we need to move towards it. Many of us have become part of that innovation without planning it beforehand, which is mysterious and amazing. We are standing at a turning point in technological history, and at least for now, artists are taking on the role of protagonist.”
How did you participate in the “Art In Metaverse” exhibition?
“When I first heard about the exhibition, it felt like an invitation to a stage that gathers the most innovative digital art works of our time. And I thought I also had something to say on that stage. When Atsukloud told me that my work was selected among thousands of works, I was overwhelmed with indescribable emotions and pride. This is because the work I submitted to ‘Art in Metaverse’ was the closest work to me among all the works I have done so far.”
Could you introduce your work for ‘Art In Metaverse’ a bit more?
“This is a one-minute audiovisual self-portrait called ‘My Self-Portrait’ created within the framework of a digital creation hackathon. At the time of creating this work, we were in a shutdown state due to the infectious disease. We had no access to proper technical equipment as we were completely locked down. We had to simplify the process by simply recording with our mobile phones and editing on the computer. It was experimental in terms of content and form. I discovered the image that spoke to me from within and started designing everything based on that sense of dissonance. As I opened my heart and faced it, I realized it was no longer me but a poetic alter ego, a monster-like presence that forced me and consumed me.”
Could you share your aspiration for what kind of artist you would like to be remembered as in the future?
“The digital world is a great stage to test the limits of my imagination and creativity. It offers endless ideas and tools that can be expanded. I plan to continue my exploration in the immersive digital world. Above all, I want to be remembered as an artist with a strong ‘imagination’. I want to express the unique gestures of completely new organisms that are closer to nature than humans.”
Muriel’s artwork in “ART IN METAVERSE”
/Photo: Muriel Sago
Source: The First Media (http://www.thefirstmedia.net)
