Beszámolás
THE DUTCH TOUCH (AT)TRACTOR
Experimentation with materials at its finest @ Hungary-based D’CLINIC Studios
questions: prokvera / answers: Ian Skirvin, Katja Pál / pics: prokvera, menetes / 2021. 10. 19.
Önzine had an ad hoc visit at the TRACTOR residency programme of D’CLINIC studios in Zalaegerszeg where Ian Skirvin, a Netherlands-based artist, just had his finissage at the local artist space run by Katja Pál.
Önzine: Katja, can you please explain what D’CLINIC is and describe its different residency programmes in a few words? What motivated you initially when founding the place?
Katja: In short, D’CLINIC is a place for artists to meet and participate or work in a setting that is both geographically and conceptually removed from their usual studio practice. It can also be called a micro-residency, since it is open only for a few months per year, and is focused on rather small groups of artists (max 3 at a time).
I created different platforms for different artists’ needs, so to say. TRACTOR is for individual research. This is the most open programme, where you are not even obliged to deliver finished work if your need is to spend time on research or experimentation only. MiXER is based on artists’ collaboration. Two, who meet at the studio for the first time, are to work together on an art project and capture this collaboration in the form of an artists’ book.
This summer, I fulfilled one more of my D’CLINIC dreams: a former garage was renovated into a project space. A sort of white cube environment where anything is possible. Meaning, each artist can transform the space according to his/her personal vision, including painting the walls, floor, ceiling… the place is called RED Flamingo.
I guess my initial motivation was the fact that I am also an artist growing up in a small “countryside” town where meeting new creatives were always limited to summertime only. To that 10 days of artists colonies organized by our local museum. On one hand, these events were my first interaction with so-called contemporary or international art. I really enjoyed it, and always hardly waited for July to begin. Later, as a student, I got more and more involved in organizing these summer events. And this is how slowly I realized that institutional boundaries are “not my cup of tea” thus I decided I’ll try to establish a place that is more open for experimentation and not limited to painters or sculptors only.
Ian, how did you get involved in the residency programme of D’Clinic?
Ian: I was looking on residency websites for something that would be sure to give me an adventure. When I saw D’Clinic and its location outside of the major city I figured that would be an interesting challenge regarding questions about visibility and what the general art climate would be like. I’m much more interested in working in places that don’t get exposed to contemporary art on a daily basis because I believe there’s a form of realness to be found there.
What was your original idea that you wanted to implement and how did it turn out in the end?
Ian: I originally wanted to do a parade where the whole project would be about group participation and bringing people’s stories to life. This was pre-corona though so after more than a year I sort of let go of that idea. In the end I did work together with people which was my main goal, I made drawings and small sculptures with Dávid Goór, made noise music with Gábor Németh and worked together with the local shooting range “Ebergényi úti lőtér” by letting the shooters add their mark by shooting at targets that I drew on.
You topped the finissage with an experimental sound performance with Gábor. Can you say a few words about it?
Ian: I think it naturally came together, we started talking about experimental music one night and I figured why not do something together. I didn’t really know what to expect and I think neither did Gábor. I think his knowledge of making music, and my lack of it, created a balanced yet unpredictable atmosphere.
Can you explain your main profile? (Is it in the topic of trash/readymade/human waste?)
Ian: My practice is divided to a very material approach and a desire to pull the ‘other’ into my world while at the same time exploring theirs. This is the main reason for my use of found objects. Everything in our world feels like a mosaic of stories and materials that we are immersed in. Being somewhere foreign to us makes us more aware of this because we experience things that we partially recognize from back home, but often in a slightly different way. For me this is a way to create the beginning of a narrative that is open ended and left to finish by the viewer, either by participation or just being there.
Katja, how is your presence in art life correlated with the residency programme? Do you feel it has an impact on your work?
Katja: I think my art-making is currently not influenced by the residency programme. I mean, in terms of style or similar, but it does determine my studio time a lot. I kind of noticed that my most productive studio time is winter when the days are short, mysterious and I don’t have this weird urge to be outside in the sunlight/sunshine. From this point of view, I don’t feel too depressed or frustrated that in summer I don’t get much or any studio time.
I enjoy meeting, observing others while working. Seeing their methods, techniques,… learning new stuff; but also helping out, solving their creative “problems”. It also happened that the inspiration was mutual and we later worked on a collaboration with a guest artist, after their residency.
Is Zalaegerszeg open to the programme? Pros and cons regarding the city?
Katja: Yes, zalaegerszeg accepted me and the programme open-handed. The local Zazee association helped me a lot to integrate.
I think the pros and cons are here more or less the same as in any city or community of a similar size, but then again: it was a conscious decision to run the programme in the periphery, rather than some art capital. My vision was to give artists an undisturbed studio and self-time. Where they can re-focus on their own creative thoughts… with no judgement.
Based on what aspects do you choose a resident?
Katja: There are slight differences between individual programs, but one of the main aspects is whether or not D’CLINIC is able to meet their expectations or needs. Either technically, conceptually or in terms of materials. Generally, artists need to bring their plan and take into account that it might be changed, modified later on the spot according to the inspiration etc.
Ian, how much contact did you have with locals during your stay in Zalaegerszeg and what kind of reactions did you have from them? Any interesting stories?
Ian: I found creating contact with the locals a bit hard at first. I tend to be a bit scatterbrained and I know this can sometimes confuse people who don’t know me yet. I was most surprised when I went to the shooting range with my drawings that I wanted to be shot at. The people there almost seemed to understand immediately and were very happy to help without me really having to convince them that it was for art. The younger people quickly started using my drawings as targets which was really great to see. Also a small thing that I found very interesting when I went to certain bars with people who are frequent D’Clinic visitors (shoutout to Pepe for taking me to the bars) was that people shake hands with the people in the bar. To my knowledge this would never happen even in small town bars in the Netherlands but I could be mistaken. But I found it a very interesting cultural difference that I wish we would take a lesson from. One of my favorite moments was meeting the D’clinic neighbour János Németh, a great artist who’s very eager to help and tell stories about his life. He helped me out by firing my ceramics in one of his kilns.
Were you attracted by Eastern Europe for any particular reason?
Ian: I like the aesthetic rawness that is still visible. The 70’s and 80’s were a great time period for Eastern Europe in my opinion. The brutalist structures that are still visible in certain places are also very inspiring. In the end I got really inspired by the way modern and traditional meet each other in everyday life such as the Székelykapu’s which are to me a direct link to a time where magic was still a part of our life.
How do you guys think changing an artist’s work space geographically affects their artwork or point of view?
Ian: I think it creates a situation in which you are confronted with the question ‘are you going to just do what you do in you own studio, or are you going to let this place guide you to something that might be scary and new but in the end potentially valuable but perhaps not “successful” in a conventional way. I had some trouble at the start figuring out what exactly my role was going to be. When I let go of the desire to prove something it made it a lot easier to approach the residency and my being there in a calm and more productive manner. I think this lesson is something more easily learned when you place yourself in a situation that is new to you where you sort of have to invent new ways for yourself to function. At the end of the residency I could tell that I was starting to get used to certain details of life that I still kind of miss. I guess that’s the routine in life we cling to and other times try to destroy.
Katja: I think the precondition for any kind of effect is for the artist to accept (and appreciate) the fact that he/she is not at home in his/her studio. Letting go of the need that things go the way you are used to. Sometimes it means just basic things like accepting that here we don’t have the paint, glue etc. brand you are used to. You can feel frustrated and miserable throughout your residency or open up to new, unexpected solutions. And sometimes it means you need to leave your phone and/or room, to walk down the street … and disconnect from the same old daily “problems”. However, I have also experienced that an artist weeks or months later explained to me that an image or pattern seen here resulted in a new series of work. But I as an artist also am usually affected to the extent of my openness. it’s not necessarily a whole style change, but small, new approaches to the same theme.
Ian, are there any new gigs/events coming up that you consider worth mentioning?
Ian: At the moment I’m getting ready for a residency in Rotterdam for two weeks, here I’m hoping to learn the very basics of robotic movement with a tool called arduino. From there I’ve got a couple other projects which will intertwine to form a large final work in June during The Bosch Parade. This is an international art fair on water inspired by the late Dutch painter Jeroen Bosch. Fellow artist Dakota Havard and I (whom I perform with as OGCOLTRANE) will build a Jeroen Bosch inspired boat which will have instruments to make hellish noise on them.
Katja, are there any plans for the studio to expand or look for new directions in the future? I learned you even have been having a very impressive eZine for a while.
Katja: I constantly have new ideas. And while I am not sure if the studio will stay at this location in the future, I am sure I’d like to keep it “small”, with this family-like feeling. Currently, my interest is directed towards the question of how to connect visiting artists more. You don’t just get to meet those you happen to be sharing the studio with. Would be cool to have some kind of alumni (D’CLINIC) club or similar, with one event a year. Actually, the eZine was the first modest attempt in this direction. To also focus on past guests, not just current studio events.
And finally, a playlist from Ian to blow your mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c6uMbP4–E&list=PLBxQl2dx99sDeFu7gxcKC_n8YSG6hTHlG