When did you became interested in art?
As a child, I think I was in kindergarden, painting was my big hobby. The walls of my room where full of collages, cut outs. I was visually attached to creative things. At the age of sixteen, I started to be more serious about it. I attended hotel school for a while, but it wasn’t the place for me. So I went to public art school a lot, painting and creating 3D objects, and applied for university.
Jana Babincova – ‘An Aching To Be Free’, installation view, mixed media, Emil Filla Gallery, Usti and Labem, CZ, 2014, photo: Jana Babincova
What are you working on at this moment, in Volkshotel?
It’s a space installation. Pretty big, around five to seven meters. I see it as a visualization of sounds that I’ve heard in the hotel, making them 3D. It’s not about words, but about noise. So the sound of speech, the way the barman puts plates on the shelter, cars, piano music. I make them abstract and turn it into a visual form that fits into the space, using around eight different colors.
This is a totally new environment for you. How do you usually work?
First, I start absorbing the environment, simply watching, listening, getting into the situation. The first impression is important, because my inspiration starts with an emotion. Then I begin with a concept and a plan, trying things. It’s always good to work in a new location; it’s challenging. In my studio I experiment more, I like the risk. Because of the time pressure, I experiment less in a new place, although I always like to try new stuff. For example, in Volkshotel, I work with a material I’d never touched before: fish line.
So, pretty important: how do you like staying at Volkshotel so far?
At first it didn’t really feel like a hotel, it looked like a relaxed lobby bar or an alternative conference centre. It has an open character, you can get around in the whole building when you want, I like that. And when I was in Canvas, it felt like I was on holiday because of the tropical music and the nice view. I see it as a comfortable place to be inspired, that feels like my place for a short while.
Portrait pictures by Raymond van Mil
