Numen / For useInterview

We interviewed the Croatian-Austrian artist group Numen/For use, who are making their first appearance in Asia.

Q1) About Numen/For use.

— This is your first appearance in Asia. Thank you for coming to Japan. I think that some people in Japan have learned about Numen/For use through this smart illumination. First, I would like to talk about the artist collective NUMEN/FOR USE. What kind of organization is NUMEN/FOR USE? Also, please tell us the origin of the name.

We (Cristoph, Nikola and I) formed a group in 1998 under the name ForUse. At that time I was still at the Industrial Design University in Zagreb and Vienna. “For Use” comes from our work at that time, when we focused on functional and reductive design. A year later, Numen was formed as a collective of artists capable of realizing any project beyond the boundaries of industrial design. The origin of "numen" is in the word "noumenon" in the minority literature I was reading at the time. It is a transcendental object, that which can be perceived without the senses. In other words, phenomenon means something opposite to phenomenon.

Q2) About the work

—Please tell us about your previous works and this work. NUMEN/FOR USE has produced many works that customers can participate in. In that respect, I hear that this time it is a work that can be enjoyed by going inside in the same way. However, regarding the material of your work, you have changed from white tape to black net. Is there any reason for that?

The main reason I changed the material of my work to net was to create a more permanent flowing landscape. Tape installations were short-lived materials and very site-specific. I used the black color simply because the material used for the shade net was black, but it worked well to emphasize the net-scape overlap I was envisioning. Did. I'm already thinking about white nets and composite color nets using yellow, magenta, and cyan for future installations.

—This time, your exhibition will be in Yokohama, a tourist spot, and also in a port town. Moreover, since the work will be presented at "Smart Illumination", I think it will be a collaboration with many night views (illuminations). What kind of points did you pay attention to regarding the exhibition space when creating the work? Also, what kind of things do you expect from the presentation in Yokohama?

I really like the idea of "night view". As with tape installations, the net is best complemented by illumination. I want to isolate the work from its surroundings, create an artificial horizon, and make it look as if the whole thing is emitting light from within. In the production process, the net became a self-sustaining and expandable device, and also acquired a new aspect. It appears as a silhouette on a translucent screen that shines against the background of the night sky.

—Please tell us if there is anything you would like the audience to feel.

Through this precious opportunity to exhibit our new works, we hope that the works and visitors will have a positive impact on each other, and that the people of Yokohama will gather and feel at ease during the festival. increase.

Q3) About "Hikari"

—What does “Hikari” mean to you? Please feel free to answer.

"Hikari" is attractive, but I often incorporate it into my work tangentially rather than directly as a subject. Light is potentially always important in tape installations where translucent tapes are stacked on top of each other, causing an interesting diffusion in the overlapping layers of tape and giving a unique light. The net is also translucent due to its perforated structure, allowing light to enter well. I often work with transparent materials and membranes (sheets that apply thick-film printing technology) that change appearance depending on the light that enters and the reflection. In a stage art work, I believe that conceptually starting with the manipulation of light and shadow is essential to creating the final image. One of our experimental works, Numen-Light, uses lighting as an essence to create subtle disturbances in an endless light-scape. represents restlessness.

Q4) Please give a message to everyone in Japan.

I am looking forward to the first exhibition of my work in Japan and Asia. Expectations are particularly high for this year's event, as two works of art (Tape Tokyo and Net Yokohama) will be presented simultaneously in completely new regions and cultural spheres. I am sure that we will come to Japan again in the future, as we have realized that our senses are very close to the character and spirit of the Japanese people.

▼ English page ▼

Q1) Thank you for coming to Japan. This is your first time to present your work in Asia. Smart Illumination Yokohama will be a great opportunity for Japanese people to get to know NUMEN/FOR USE and its artwork. few questions about the artist group, NUMEN/FOR USE.

- We (Cristoph, Nikola and myself) started the group under the banner For Use back in 1998 when we were still in college of industrial design in Zagreb and Vienna. Monicker “For Use” came from our then obsession with functionality and reductive design. A year later we established Numen as a collective identity covering all projects actualized outside the sphere of industrial design.
“Numen” derives from some esoteric literature we used to read at the time – “noumenon” means a transcendental object, one graspable without the use of senses – ie. the opposite of phenomenon.

Q2) Please tell us about your current artwork as well as your past work. NUMEN/FOR USE has produced numerous interactive artwork where the spectators could participate in. The current exhibit also has the same concept in that the spectators can be part of the artwork and enjoy the experience. However, in terms of the material used, it has changed from white tape to black net. Is there any reason for this change?

- Our main reason for this switch into Net objects was the wish to produce a more permanent floating landscape, since our Tape installation was by nature utterly ephemeral and very site specific.The color black is simply the standard shade used for safety nets and it worked well in emphasizing gradients of visibility in the overlapping layers of the envisioned net-scape.

This time, the exhibition will be held in tourist part of Yokohama harbor. Also, as part of the Smart Illumination, the artwork will be presented among other illuminations and as a night piece. With that in mind, how did it affect your creative process Also, what is your expectation in terms of presenting in Yokohama?

- We really liked the idea of a “night-piece”. Tape installations always looked best while illuminated and for Net to work in the same way we needed to isolate it from the surroundings, to create an artificial horizon and make the entire structure seem illuminated from within – which led to the construction of a completely new prototype for the Yokohama event – the Net Blow-Up. Through this process the initial Net became a self-standing, inflatable enclosure and acquired a new, outside aspect; Play of silhouettes on the translucent skin of the light bubble against the backdrop of the night sky.
If you have anything in particular that you hope the audience to experience through your artwork, please let us know.
- We expect a good interaction with the visitors and a great opportunity for our new piece to serve as a proper community hammock to the people of Yokohama for the time of the Festival.

Q3) What does “HIKARI” (which is “light” in Japanese) mean for NUMEN/FOR USE? Please feel free to make any comment.

- Hikari fascinates us but we generally don't tackle it directly in our work but rather tangentially – it was always latently important in the semi-transparent folds of the Tape installation, which has a specific quality of light where interesting diffusions happen in the layers of tape.Net is also semi-transparent by its very perforated structure and plays with gradients of light permeability.We actually often work with membranes and transparency levels relying strongly on light and its refraction through materials.In our theater work we always start conceptually from darkness and light manipulation is crucial in the creation of the final image. One of our experimental objects, Numen-Light, has illumination as its essence, showing a slightly disturbing, infernal capacity of an endless light-scape.

Q4) Do you have any messages or comments you would like to share with the Japanese spectators?

- We are very excited to be exhibiting in Japan (and Asia for that matter) for the first time, especially with the fact that we will present ourselves to this completely new territory and culture with two art-pieces simultaneously (Tape Tokyo and Net Yokohama ).Since we find our own sensibility to be very close to the Japanese character and spirit, we are pretty certain we will be returning in the future.