Artist Interview: Ariadna Dane

Technology is already revolutionising the art industry and this trend will grow exponentially

Ariadna Dane is a multi-media artist living and working in London, UK. Through her upbringing in Siberia and traveling, she developed a connection to nature, which has been a source of inspiration for her evolving art practice.

The creative process behind her “Organic Wreaths” and “Basal Elements” series involves experimentation with techniques to imitate and amplify nature. Ariadna creates forms and textures with natural aesthetic quality, reminiscent of organic cells, celestial structures, basic life forms, or fossils.

Her art will be showcased in the Art in the Age of Now exhibition at Fulham Town Hall in London, which opens on May 20, 2021.

Your art is being showcased as part of the “Art in the Age of Now” group exhibition at Fulham Town Hall, which opens this Thursday (May 20, 2021). How did this exhibition come about and what can viewers expect to see?

The visitors will be taken on a journey of discovery, as the artworks are spread across the decaying rooms of the 51,000 ft derelict Victorian building, with all its original features still intact. It is quite a spectacle to see the cutting-edge artworks against such an unexpected backdrop. Once the exhibition is over, the entire place will be redeveloped as a boutique hotel, so this is the last chance to see the place in its former glory.

The exhibition came about when the art curator Ben Moore was approached by the hotel operator Lamington Group in order to put on a free cultural event for the local community, following months of grueling lockdown. The show will feature an extraordinary program of installations, performance art, music, talks, and screenings by such artists as Charlotte Colbert, Conrad Shawcross, Joe Rush, Ben Eine, Paul Insect, and many more – all in the atmospheric setting of Fulham Town Hall.

Tell us a bit about your artworks from the exhibition. Did you create them specifically intending for them to be enhanced with AR or were they existing artworks that you augmented?

All of the three artworks on show were created during the lockdown. Initially, AR was not part of the plan but it turned out to be the perfect timing to experiment with the medium that I have been curious about for a while.

My work is inspired by the beauty and fragility of nature. One of the artworks features animations of a monarch butterfly and a common fly. One is a declining species, while another will likely outlive us all. The visitors are invited to examine their emotional response to the insects’ appearance, movements, sounds and reflect on the future of biodiversity.

The other work features an abstract animation and sound of the heartbeat of a blue whale. The largest animal on the planet is endangered, but its numbers are actually on the rise. This work is designed to bring encouragement and hope, the critical elements of change. My third work is an abstract exploration of the links between the brain, the universe, and a chance occurrence.

What’s your creative process like? How do you come up with your ideas (and has this changed over the last year)?

My creative process can come both from intuitive and analytic sources. When I work intuitively, there is very little planning and the end destination is unknown. There is not a specific concept in mind – the materials, colors, and compositions are picked, based on what I am drawn towards in the state of flow. I work quickly and in the end, the meaning is revealed to me and it is often a profound experience.

At other times, inspiration comes from research or during travels, such as when I come across a mesmerizing natural wonder. Here, my work is more planned and directional. During the last year, traveling has become impossible and I miss getting out in nature a great deal.

I work with alcohol inks which is an under-appreciated yet fascinating material. It can never be fully controlled and only allows me to guide it towards an outcome. There is always an element of surprise. The process is symbolic of our relationships with nature and it is therapeutic, in a way that it teaches me to let go of control and expectations.

What experience do you have with AR art and Artivive and what are the pros and cons for you when creating art that is augmented?

I have been curious about AR for a while but lacked the confidence to approach the subject, as I assumed it would be too complicated to fulfill. Once I came across Artivive, it turned out that my worries were for nothing — anyone can learn and you don’t need to be a tech wizard. Artivive handles the trickiest parts, leaving us creatives, to do what we do best.

I was struck by how much people are drawn to this new dimension of my work, and how AR has the potential to create a strong emotional connection with an art piece. The downside is that experiencing AR art relies on the availability of a quality internet connection, app and smartphone, making it inaccessible in some circumstances. Once the technology overcomes these obstacles, this is when AR will truly be everywhere.

How do you see the future of art? Do you think technology will become more present in shaping how we consume and create art?

Absolutely, technology is already revolutionizing the art industry and this trend will grow exponentially. As technology continues to become more accessible, the barriers to entry will reduce and digital art will become more mainstream. There is just so much to explore and innovate when it comes to using technology to create art.

Physical art has an extensive history and it will not go anywhere but digital art is something qualitatively new. Naturally, it will attract more interest both from creatives and collectors alike. I believe that the future of art is in the augmented, interactive, and immersive experiences. Imagine immersing yourself in an artwork, having it all around you, interacting with you, and changing, based on your personal response to it.

Are you planning on creating more AR art? What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I want to continue exploring technology as a medium. Undoubtedly, AR will be part of the process, acting as a bridge between the physical and the digital. I am also working on developing a more sustainable practice and the priority would be to find a balance between the two goals. I am at the start of my AR journey and I want to find new ways of integrating it with physical artwork. I want to stretch the limits of how we use AR and further amplify its effect on the viewer.

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