[Interview] The Artistic Challenge of a Filmmaker: “Digital Art is an Infinitely Open World”
Interview with Artist Aleksei Martinyuk at the ‘Art in Metaverse’ Exhibition by Reporter Choi Tae-wook
“Since I was very young, I boasted that I was a ‘creative person’. However, I didn’t know where or how to apply this talent. Now, I think I’m exactly where I should be. It’s the perfect place to explore the boundaries of my potential and unleash my creativity… the space of ‘digital art’.”
The artist Aleksei Martinyuk (31), or Aleksei, has come a long way to immerse himself in the world of art. His six years of experience majoring in economics and applied information technology and working in related industries were just a prelude to finding his true ‘self’. The link was ‘video’. Since he was young, Aleksei has loved movies and animations, and he became fascinated with video shooting and editing as a hobby, aspiring to become a full-time filmmaker. He expanded his repertoire by delving into sound design, 3D, CG, VR, and more. Two years after earning the title of ‘film director’, he encountered a world that was even more thrilling and fantastic. Through the prism of new media and technology, on the stage of ‘digital art’, the artist breaks down the limits of imagination and expands the boundaries of creativity. I had the opportunity to hear directly from Aleksei, who participated in the <Art in Metaverse> exhibition held in Korea from January to May, about his attitude and determination as an emerging media artist.
I heard that you started to focus on pure art later on, after working as a film director.
“That’s right. If I were to focus on what I’ve achieved, it would be appropriate to introduce myself as a ‘film director’. I have expertise in various areas of video production such as filming, editing, sound, CG, and so on. However, looking forward, I want to emphasize that I aspire to become a multimedia artist. After the film, digital art has become a new world for me. Through the prism of new media and technology, I am expanding the boundaries of my creativity more and more.”
It’s also unusual that your undergraduate major was in economics. When did you become interested in film and art?
“I’ve always felt that I had a creative inclination. I remember that we had a lot of videotapes at home when I was very young, and I was always immersed in Japanese animation and movies. I was fascinated by the imaginary world and the creatures created within it on the screen, which became a nourishing source for my imagination. In my late teens, I even made music videos by shooting and editing them myself. However, when it came to choosing a university major, my options were limited. I chose a safe degree within a narrow range and worked in that industry for six years after graduation. It wasn’t until around 2018 that I had a turning point and decided to pursue my dream of making movies. Since then, I’ve been seriously considering making art as a full-time job. I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree in digital art.”
It seems that movies are the basis of imagination and expression
“My works, including films, have a common theme of paying attention and giving significance to small things around us and changing perspectives on familiar things. If you ask me about my biggest work in my career, it would probably be ‘The next stop is KODOKU.’ It is a documentary film about a personal story of a foreigner living in Japan, showing the process of finding answers to questions about life in forced loneliness. It was both a story of a subject at a turning point in life and a work that revealed my own questions. Ultimately, my work can be seen as a message that translates my own concerns or thoughts about a specific issue into an artistic perspective.”
What is your own artistic characteristics that set you apart from other artists?
I would say that since I began with filmmaking, I try to incorporate narrative into all of my works. I also have a strong attachment to all forms of video work. In my foray into digital art, I actively use a ‘collage’ method, which allows me to mix my video-related technical skills and artistic style. One good example of this is the installation work I did last year called ‘FF00000000FF.’ It was an attempt at technical art that combined modernized versions of devices like the phenakistoscope, stroboscope, and zoetrope, which rely on the principles of video. My video art piece titled ‘CONTTRUST’ also showcases my work style well. The work explored the question of how information interacts in an information-overloaded world by combining aerial photography, photogrammetry, visual special effects, and sound processing technology.”
Film and pure art seem to be the same but different. There may have been some burdensome aspects.
“It wasn’t easy to delve deeply into the world of multimedia art. Coming up with ideas was never a problem, but until now, I’ve always applied them to the medium of film. However, at some point, I realized that I didn’t have to confine myself to that. A completely new world opened up to me, one in which I believed I possessed the software and hardware skills to thrive. Being a quick learner and having no aversion to new tools were also major advantages. Although I am still in the learning phase and cannot predict the outcome, I consider myself to have made tremendous progress in less than a year.”
What is the background behind participation in ARTSCLOUD’s “Art in Metaverse” exhibition?
“The words ‘contemporary art,’ ‘new media art,’ and ‘digital art’ are not unfamiliar to me. Another word, ‘Korea,’ is the same. In 2018, when I decided to leave my company and make movies, I worked in China for two years. At the time, I planned to save money and study film properly. And at that very moment, I met Korea for the first time. It was a two-week journey experiencing major cities such as Busan, Ulsan, Daegu, Daejeon, Seoul, and Incheon in turn. At the time, Korean art gave me great inspiration. When I first heard the news of the ‘Art in Metaverse’ exhibition, that inspiration came to mind. I thought it was an appropriate stage for my first challenge in digital art beyond the medium of film.”
Can you introduce the artwork that was presented at the ‘Art in Metaverse’ exhibition?
“Social media today serves as a gateway connecting our lifestyle and the digital world. In my case, it is Instagram. My entry, ‘DIGITAL TRAIL,’ presents the idea that the data we upload to our personal channels, such as photos and videos, becomes a complete digital trace of our lives. It was designed as an interactive art piece that allows anyone to see their digital trail. Originally, this work was the final project of a ‘Generative Art’ workshop I participated in during graduate school. Technically, I used ‘Touch Designer,’ a software I was applying for the first time, which presented some difficulties in the working process. However, from the perspective of learning new tools or techniques, it was an interesting and beneficial experience. The original project was planned as an installation piece using a large screen, a computer, a mouse, and so on. However, due to the circumstances, it was replaced with a video for the ‘Art in Metaverse’ exhibition.”
I’d like to hear your future plans and aspirations as a media artist now that you’ve taken your first step in this field.
“My current work can be divided into three main areas: film, media art, and game projects. The common keywords that tie them all together are video and technology. My love for video has brought me this far, and I continue to expand my horizons through learning and mastering new technologies. Recently, I finished a group project that actively utilized AR, XR, and VR technologies. Metaverse and NFTs are still controversial and it can be difficult to make a clear judgment on their value. However, one thing that I can say for sure is that some of my future works will undoubtedly be related to metaverse and NFTs. I want to continue creating something meaningful that can be remembered by people as an artist. Communication is also important to me. I am not the type to give too much weight to other people’s opinions, but I do not want to be misunderstood either.”
Aleksei’s Artwork in “ART IN METAVERSE”
/Photo: Artist Aleksei Martinyuk
Source: The First Media (http://www.thefirstmedia.net)
