Interview with Zachary Lieberman

At the 2nd Dresden Future Forum we talked to Zachary Lieberman, the winner of the CynetArt-Prize 2006.

The artist from New York presented his installation “Drawn” and “Manual Input Sessions” at the Future Forum. He has a lot of new ideas how to combine the classic artworks like drawing with interactive elements to create fictional worlds.

Interview with Zachary Lieberman:

How did you get the idea for the installation “Drawn”?

Actually…because I was trying to combine my previous lifetime when I was working in the fine arts in a way with the kind of work I do now which is in the digital arts…and one of the things that I really missed about working in fine arts was the simple thing that when you’re working you have the potential to ruin your cloth. So I used to work in the print shop and I used to ruin all of my shirts and get ink onto everything and I wanted to take some of that into the work that I do now. So it was really this kind of desire to make an artwork which would be messy and I actually did ruin a lot of my cloth when I was on tour with “Drawn”.

Do you work together with other artists like musicians or dancers?

Sure. Well I work together primarily with another collaborator named Golan Levin and we’ve done several projects together. We have a group named NEMO. We also do works on our own. But we’ve worked with musicians. We did a project with two singers. Which was called “Messa di Voce” .Which was an attempt to answer the question ‘What does the voice look like?’. And we did this performance with these two abstract vocalists John and Barbara. And I’ve also worked with dancers. And I enjoy this process of collaboration very much.

How is the feedback of your audience? Do they give you input for new ideas?

Yeah, you learn so much. The unique aspect of interactive work is that it exists because people come to it. That they create a loop within the work that allows the work to function. So in the case of Drawn they come and they paint and they play with what they painted and they really make the work happen. And there is so much you can do on your own preparing the work but you learn so much by watching people play and seeing what their responses are. And that is really the best education: in the gallery or in the exhibition hall or where ever you can be see people try the work that you have made.

Do have new ideas for installations already?

Yes. I have new ideas and I have some time ahead of me so I really look forward being able to realize them. And they are in a way to try to continue some of the ideas that I like with “Drawn” which is this concept of a kind of artificial video. That you have a video signal which is in a way giving you the assembling of reality but it’s this artificial reality which I like very much. I find it very playful. So my new projects also deal in a way with video and creating a kind of fictional world.

Are you planning to be part of the next CynetArt-Festival in Dresden?

I don’t know. I think you can answer that question better than I can but I had a great time here and I would love to come back. So, thank you.

Thank you for the interview.

The webcast with the presentation of Zachary Lieberman at the 2nd Dresden Future Forum can be found here.