Thoughts from 2023
32 conversations
As in other years at arterritory.com, conversation has been our focus over the past twelve months. Revisiting/re-reading these conversations reveals not only a field of reflections, ideas and thoughts but also contemporary issues, complexities, challenges and nuances of mood. This text is introduced by the work of Hungarian-born Vera Molnár, a pioneer of computer art who recently passed away on December 7 at the age of 99. In January 2023 we published a conversation with her, at the end of which she paraphrased Goethe’s Faust by saying: “The truest thing I have realised is that I don’t know anything. I know nothing of anything.”
We once again offer you the opportunity to “leaf through” these conversations with artists, curators, collectors, art historians and those interested in art.
Centaurs: a warning from the future
An interview with Danish artist Uffe Isolotto
“We are in a global age, but maybe we’re not there – our minds are not there yet. Like, our bodies and our sight haven’t adjusted to driving cars – we actually cannot go that fast. We are still the same kind of humans as we were 500 years ago, and we are adapting – but not that fast. Technology is evolving faster than we can adapt. But, of course, we can’t avoid the use of technology because it has been integral to human existence since early times, much like a stick or a rock. We cannot separate ourselves from technology, so denouncing technology doesn’t make sense. Maybe its speed and the amount are the issues.”
We are born to rule our own kingdoms
An interview with Tallinn-based artist Katrin Valgemäe
“I portray women as unrestrained and defiant figures in order to emphasize the importance of breaking free from old patterns and recognizing inner strength and individuality. In my paintings, those women are wearing their attitude like a crown, turning “I have nothing to wear” into “I have everything to dare!” My art serves as a celebration of endless possibilities for self-expression and empowerment, reminding us all that we are born to rule our own kingdoms.”
Tīna Pētersone. Photo from personal archive
To show how fundamentally, in essence, we are similar
A conversation with curator Tīna Pētersone
“I would define contemporary art as a tool of translation. Through artworks, we can often gain insight into how others think, what their values are, and what they consider important. One could draw parallels with various optical tools. Sometimes a magnifying glass, other times a telescope. Both characterize the function of art as either intensifying the highlighting of a question or, conversely, placing it in a broader perspective. I also believe that contemporary art reminds us of how crucial it is not to take everything too seriously. The burden of responsibility steals much joy from life.”
Data Intimacy
Interview with artist Anna Ridler
“Technology just is; it exists. Like a garden. We could ask: is it natural or unnatural? Because it consists of living green organic plants, but at the same time, it’s been designed and controlled by a person, a human. You would never get a garden in the wilderness. And it’s the same for technology, in a way, because it’s not imaginary – it exists in the real world; it exists. It’s created from rare earth metals and it’s something that is in our world. And we engage with and interact with it. So, I think of it as being a real physical thing.”
Humor nurtures love
An interview with Swiss artist Claudia Comte
“Hope for the future exists, but hope alone won’t save us. Action is paramount. Our connection to the natural world and animals has dwindled, and that’s why it’s crucial for me to create organic, gentle, and inviting shapes. Shapes that beckon to be touched, hugged, and cherished.”
Francesca Gavin. Photo: Courtesy of Francesca Gavin
Celebrating Multiculturalism in Contemporary Art
An interview with British curator Francesca Gavin
“I am such a believer in the importance of exhibitions. Firstly, we have very few places in contemporary society where we are surrounded by people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, or even close to other human beings as such. The world has become, let’s say, a little bit more socially insular. We don’t have the same kind of religious structures as we did in the past; for instance, Christianity is on the decline. So, where do we seek the profound? Where can we experience a sense of community? I believe exhibitions are one of the most valuable spaces to facilitate this.”
Matthieu Poirier. Photo: Marion Berrin by Art Basel
Not a “Swiss knife” type of curator
An interview with French curator Matthieu Poirier
“About 90% of art content today is apprehended digitally, and viewed on bright screens. Given this digital prevalence, exhibitions must absolutely possess a sense of singularity – an identity through physical experience. This philosophy has always underpinned my curatorial approach: offering viewers an encounter that cannot be replicated through any other medium.”
The United Arab Art Powerhouse
An interview with Emirati curator Nasser Abdullah
“Freedom of speech varies across the Middle East. Curators must draw inspiration from artists such as the Saudi Arabian artist Abdul Nasser Gharem, who very smartly engages with a broad spectrum of people. The role of the curator is to effectively convey a message through exhibitions. However, more often than not, galleries or foundations invite curators with a discerning eye to simply create displays, which is a more commercial approach to curating. The education of curators is also a topic of discussion in my country.”
Ola Vasiljeva. Photo: Tanya Abramova
Reexamining Artefacts
An interview with artist Ola Vasiljeva
“I would not use the word soul, but I would use the word spirit. I do believe both spaces as well as objects have a spirit, some more present than others, but all do – and I find myself quite sensitive to these as well. So when sourcing materials for the installation, I often turn to materials and objects that have “lived a bit”, especially found objects from the surroundings, and used materials and mirrors, which hold a lot of information and memories...”
Udo Kittelmann. Photo: Aleksandra Wagner
Drawn to challenges
An interview with curator Udo Kittelmann
“What is the truth? I’m not sure if this is the right term, “truth”. Even a lie can be sometimes quite helpful. Truth...? But there is hope. Culture always goes in parallel with hope. It does not want to destroy or damage you. It wants to construct something. Even if it is deconstructing. That is the idea with deconstruction – to construct something new.”
Liam Gillick. Photo from the personal archive of the artist
A Washing Machine of Fragmented Remembrances
An interview with artist Liam Gillick
“In my view, art often originates from a sense of dissatisfaction with reality. This isn’t heroic or macho, but inherent, and even visible in children’s attempts to make things and their intuitive frustration when trying to rearrange the world. While some argue that artists alone can address complex ideas, it’s crucial to recognise that their approach often involves a negative or reactive perspective. For instance, while architects persist in proposing open spaces for exchange, artists are more sensitive to the complexities of subjectivity. This dichotomy might contribute to the romanticised image of artists that has permeated society, even influencing the lifestyles and aesthetic choices of individuals like tech entrepreneurs.”
Toms Kampars. Photo:Lolita Epnere
Through the prism of the atmosphere
Interview with architect Toms Kampars
“The other thing that defines a contemporary exhibition is empathy. This, in my opinion, is returning to design and will be one of the future values. My approach is also empathic. I’m trying to find a system that works for everything – content (including artwork owners, collection maintainers), exhibitions (including their creators), and viewers. In my opinion, everything should be in harmony.”
The Barstad Collection
A conversation with Next Gen Norwegian art collector Henrik Barstad
“Personally, I want to inspire my children. As a business developer and strategist, I should be adept at defining a direction and purpose for this collection. However, honestly, I’m also eager to see where it leads me. For me and my family, it’s far more significant that we connect with a piece of art than the piece itself connecting with my collection. My passion for art is deeply important to me.”
Katharina Grosse, 2022. Photo: ©Aman Shakya/SCAD Savannah / College of Art and Design
Painting is a Time Cluster
An interview with Katharina Grosse
“I see the artist’s role as mainly providing alternatives for our thinking and for our decision-making. I also believe that we provide constellations that enable spiritual experiences. Art is demanding. Painting is an imposition.”
Self-Portrait in front of Pacific Trash Vortex 2022, artist's studio, Switzerland, 2022 
Naturally inclined to generate images
An interview with Swiss-based British artist Kevin Eason
“The artwork is a transmission bridge, a portal where intimate dialogues commence forth. Arthur Danto wrote about an artwork’s aura and how human senses develop in relation to art. Yes, it’s subjective, yet when one walks into a given situation, and you feel the magnetism of another being, of an artwork, it instinctively transmits a timeless feeling – at times, the transmission feels some 45,500 years old. That feeling, that sensing, will never tire because art is a primitive operating system.”
Daiga Grantiņa. Photo: Toan Vu Huu
We are an island in a sea of colour
A conversation with artist Daiga Grantiņa
“I believe that art is a shore. Roles are allocated as necessary, and art can provide us with inspiration to build our shores, rebuild ourselves.”
Jolanta Laurent. Photo: Lina Aidukaite
The aesthetics of constant change
An interview with Jolanta Laurent, the founder of Drifts gallery in Vilnius
“Every time has its own challenges, and this makes things more creative. Of course, the uncertainty of our time is historical and heartbreaking – we are experiencing so closely the fragility of life as well as political and economic changes. Still, art always provides a meaning for life; it is a form of escapism or dramatic encounter with reality.”
On bamboo, waste and capitalism
A conversation with Indian artist Asim Waqif
“One has to work really hard to avoid the dominant market forces and live a slightly more sustainable kind of life. We are kind of stuck, but there’s definitely more awareness and people are more intentional about trying to do things in a way that is better for the environment. The question is, What more can be done? That is a really tough one. Most people find it easy to blame somebody else – e.g. it’s the government’s fault, or industry’s fault. But to bring change into your own life? That’s pretty challenging, I think.”
Confident elaborate uncertainty
A conversation with Romanian collector Ovidiu Șandor in Prague
“I don’t know how but you know, art always changes people, those who begin having an interest in it and following it and understanding the various layers of various artworks. I’m sure we, as humans, are changed by that, and this will change our future. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily think that, for example, a certain type of militant art that fights for or against certain things, is directly changing society. But I think in a broader sense art transforms people and then people transform society. I see it as a more indirect tool for changing society and not necessarily a direct tool for certain militant positions. I’m a bit more sceptical of art’s ability to change society directly.”
Co-creators in musicpaintingLIVE
A conversation with pianist Reinis Zariņš and painter Maryleen Schiltkamp
Reinis Zariņš: I don’t believe in coincidences in general. Nothing, probably, that we put our hand to, is a coincidence, even though we might not see its value for a long time to come. God, the Word behind everything, has a plan for this world as well as an ending for it. And a defined ending, not just – whatever happens will be fine. So, for this ending to take place, certain things have to happen. Nothing can be a coincidence, only a Godincidence.
Maryleen Schiltkamp: I hadn’t heard you use that term before. It’s a good one!
Kristaps Epners. Photo: Māris Ločmelis
Kristaps Epners’ Maslova
A conversation with Kristaps Epners
“I think we are witnessing an insane time right now, and the great worry is – what happens if the tension reaches an extreme level? It would be important to have something to come back to once the horror is over. That is when there is a point to culture in the broader sense of the word. If we do not have that, there is no goal, no motivation.”
Photo: Kamil Bouzoubaa-Grivel
Residents of the Blue Lagoon
A conversation with artists Kaspars Groševs and Evita Vasiļjeva
Kaspars Groševs: I don’t think I would attempt to speculate on the ability of art to change the world for the better, but the experience of viewing art is definitely a thing that makes this world much more bearable and occasionally even enjoyable. Thinking of utopia, I tend to associate it more with certain ideas from the past and those utopias imagined in various times that frequently catch the sight of artists and curators these days. Because today even the idea of colonising Mars or something along these lines sounds more like an ominously bad-ending Hollywood catastrophe movie. It is a much more real thing to surround yourself with an environment where you can flourish and create among other artists ‒ a small micro-utopia that sometimes flashes by like a mirage before sunset.
Evita Vasiļjeva: Isn’t art the exact place to create your own utopia?
Evelīna Deičmane. Photo: Mārtiņš Grauds
The Organ Storing Joy of Life
A conversation with artist Evelīna Deičmane
“Traumatic experience follows us throughout our life – until we consciously process the trauma. Viktor Frankl also writes that there is nothing in the world that can destroy a person. The truth is, nobody can actually truly harm us.”
Ance Eikena. Photo: Roberts Svizenecs
God’s Favourite Child
A conversation with artist Ance Eikena
“Many people tend to think they do not understand art. But is there ever a single thing to be understood? It is the most fantastic experience when I can tell a viewer what I was thinking when I was making the piece and then listen to their version of the story. The viewer listens to what the artist has to say, and the artist accepts the viewer with an open heart, in a friendly and calm conversation. The two worlds expand at this moment, mine and theirs. And I also sometimes read my own work in a number of different ways.”
99. Visiting Vera Molnar
A conversation with one of the pioneers of computer art Vera Molnar
“The truest thing I have realised is that I don’t know anything. I know nothing of anything. There are very beautiful lines in the monologue of Goethe’s Faust:
Ah! Now I’ve done Philosophy,
I’ve finished Law and Medicine,
And sadly even Theology:
Taken fierce pains, from end to end.
Now here I am, a fool for sure!
No wiser than I was before:
Master, Doctor’s what they call me,
And I’ve been ten years, already,
Crosswise, arcing, to and fro,
Leading my students by the nose,
And see that we can know – nothing!
That I learned well because I had many doors opened, and everywhere there were questions and no answers. This monologue from Faust inspires me a lot, and I think I will do something with it at some point in the future. I don’t know what, yet.”
Sue Stuart-Smith. Photo: Russell Sach
It’s good training for life if you garden
An interview with Sue Stuart-Smith, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and author of The Well Gardened Mind
“While the arts can be therapeutic and significant in their own right, gardening offers a distinct experience. It’s not solely a product of human creativity; it’s a fusion of nature’s creativity with our own. It’s a living, dynamic relationship, and historically, this connection hasn’t always been appreciated. For too long, the focus has been on dominating, controlling, and exploiting nature. However, in reality, it’s a symbiotic relationship where these two forms of creativity come together.”
Anticipating a Sun for All
A conversation with artist Daria Melnikova
“I am not solving any global problems with my art. My works are like notes – little comments on everyday life. Trying to prove something to someone, to impose my point of view – no, that is not what I am about.”
Amar Kanwar at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Photo: Sergej Timofejev
How do you discover 49 forms of darkness?
A conversation with the Indian filmmaker and artist Amar Kanwar
“I feel that the kind of situation that we are facing in the world – when almost nothing makes much sense…when you think that humans would understand that this is actually the right time to correct our ways of living, but we go ahead and do the opposite…when we can clearly see the value of conserving, but we destroy. So, it’s very clear that nothing makes much sense or has meaning.”
Photo: Dmitrijs Suļžics
How long can this all last?
An interview with Ukrainian artist Daria Kalashnikova
“Yes, Ukrainians are indeed Superhumans (this is the name of the Ukrainian Hospital for war injuries), but we are mortal. The understanding that death is very close encourages me to act. To act in politics and Ukrainian revolutions, so that life for the next generations is better. To act in art – to inspire the viewer to remember the value of every day of their life, and to feel that they have the power to make a difference.”
Admiring Other Forms of Life
An interview with research-based visual artist Paula Nishijima
“I think we should be standing off to the side, understanding that we’re neither ‘higher’ nor ‘further’ ahead. We don’t have to be somewhere behind, just on the side – where co-living is possible. This question is usually posed falsely, as if the division between human and nonhuman places us apart from others. But we’re all just different forms of life. That’s the answer to how to respect other living beings. That’s our duty, and to be respectful, we should put ourselves aside and understand that we don’t understand everything.”
Well-being can be learned
An interview with Richard J. Davidson, the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds
“There are cycles. I’m more agnostic about the years humanity has left. I don’t know, I don’t have a strong opinion one way or another. But what I do have a strong opinion about is the importance of acting now. Because we do have enough evidence to show that training the mind really will make a difference – it will make a difference for our well-being, it will improve our brain health, it will improve our physical health. And it will decrease polarisation. I think the kinds of skills that we’re talking about are critical for democracy itself; there are so many aspects of the world that I think can be improved by this.”
We own our unconscious processes
An interview with social psychologist John Bargh, Professor of Psychology at Yale University
“Too many people are using unconscious bias as an excuse – saying that they didn’t mean that, therefore they’re not to blame. Our mind operates consciously and unconsciously, but all of it is our mind. We own the unconscious part as well as the conscious part – not just the conscious part. We’re responsible for all of it, to the extent that we can have better values and think about other people and be more empathic and not just be selfish. But that’s our choice. And that’s who we are. That’s the “I”. The “I” is both, not just the conscious part. People identify the “I” with only the conscious, the aware part, too much.”
Title image: Vera Molnar. Transformation en diagonales, 2022 / Courtesy of the Galerie8+4
