Could you describe your practice?
My work is process-based, with each piece having its own unique genesis. I resonate with Tim Ingold’s concept of “thinking through making.” I start with an idea or an image in mind, and as I begin to work, new developments inform my next steps. While some ideas can be executed directly or outsourced, I enjoy the act of creation. This playful approach often leads to surprising outcomes that I couldn’t have envisioned initially.
How did your interest in art begin?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it began. I decided to study art formally at some point, but this decision rekindled an early childhood interest. As a child, I would secretly take apart household appliances like hair dryers and old answering machines to understand how they worked. The more I explored, the more mysterious and fascinating they became.
Who are some of your favorite artists?
My favorite artists have evolved throughout my practice, especially during art school. I’ve been influenced by many artists over the years, from renowned figures in modern art history to contemporary artists and my own colleagues. Steve Bishop has been a long- term influence, and more recently, I’ve been particularly inspired by Mark Manders.
Describe your current studio or workspace.
I share a studio with a colleague and former classmate in a typical northeastern Berlin industrial complex. Our studio includes four artists and emphasizes diverse artistic strategies and open conversations with other artists. We have individual studio spots, shared storage, a workshop, and a space we call “the cube” for meetings, small shows, or larger productions. The surrounding car part shops and artist studios contribute to the raw, industrial atmosphere unique to Berlin.
What do you collect?
I have an obsession with taking photos and recording videos—I think my camera roll holds around 70,000 files. Sometimes I wonder what I’ll do with all these files, but my eagerness to archive them has turned them into a blueprint of my life. Since they contain time and location data, I can imagine uploading them into a virtual world to relive those memories. However, revisiting that virtual world might reveal missed opportunities and demystify memories that have already transformed in my mind.
This reminds me of David Horvitz’s work “Nostalgia,” a book that collects descriptions of photos from his camera roll. It’s based on another project where he showed all his images one last time before deleting them. I appreciate this act as a form of “spiritual cleansing” and a way to remystify one’s own memories.
What are the main motifs in your work?
The main motif in my work is art itself, used as a means to reflect my environment. Recurring themes include intention versus non-intention, process, time, trace, and authorship. Recently, I’ve been developing a motif I call “action trouvée.” Unlike the objet trouvé, which focuses on the object’s essence, action trouvée centers on the relation to an action. I’ve noticed these observations often occur in function-oriented environments, like construction sites. In these purposeful spaces, unintended gestures and digressive observations accumulate, creating an aesthetic experience that arises from the surplus of functionlessness produced by the function-oriented nature of the environment.
What is influencing your work right now?
A key influence on my work right now is the “action trouvée” motif I’ve been developing. In addition to my artistic practice, I work as a construction site manager, traveling to various sites across the country. These diverse environments provide artistic inspiration through their unintentional aesthetics, which I document on Instagram as @ivasview.
What have you been listening to lately?
A Brush with… its an amazing Podcast Martin Boyce recommended to his students
What have you been reading lately?
Mickey Mouse (for the sake of remembering how it was reading it as a child) Mark Manders – Zeno X Gallery, 28 Years of Collaboration
David Huron – Sweet Anticipation
Henry Bergson – on duration
Interview conducted and edited by Lily Szymanski. All images courtesy of the artist.