Archive – SWARM MAG – Page 16

Reminiscent of 80s video-game worlds full of ultraviolence and tech-obsessed, metal- and leather-clad villains and villainesses, Pol-Edouard's illustrations will envelop your senses with a dizzying, flashy and almost tribalistic feel.

In her studies in femininity, Hélène Jeudy creates captivating digital artworks and films with a refreshing spin on the timeless notion of the female, bringing the issue into the context of evolution and technology. Immerse yourself in the young aspiring artist’s collaborative oeuvre that will force you to reconsider your outdated stereotypes.

The Hamburg-based duo Animationseries2000 reflect the poignant issues of our time with dark humor and retrofuturist-minimalist animations and installations. Their recent project HUMAN SIMULATOR is their meta take on consumerism; the “game” works within a system of flattened, binary paradigms, which, through their simplicity, serve all the more to underscore certain realities common to us all.

Digital artist Olia Svetlanova mostly deals with body- and face-hugging accessories and suits that seem to inseparably stick to or maybe even grow on their wearer. They range in appearance from shapes of stringy, sharp, smelted metals to oozing, organic and jelly-like forms with a seeming life of their own. Enjoy a mini interview with the artist below.

Each of Davor Gromilovic’s paintings is a world of its own: they all have their lore, characters and narrative. The joy of decoding each of these masterful, otherworldly universes lies in what you project on them, and in this SWARM MAG interview you can peek into the head of their mastermind.

Indonesian fashion designer living in Switzerland going by the alias Yohanes Yohanes unapologetically unleashes eruptions of colours on our unsuspecting world, the latest occasion being his KAWAH IJEN # 21 collection. The eco-conscious pieces inspired by volcanic processes carry a striking handicraft texture.

Jellyburger’s saturated neons may remind one of vaporwave and internet aesthetics, but there is more at play here than surfaces: her works oscillate between stillness and motion, delving into the perplexities of the contemporary while keeping in mind the greater pictures at play.

Joey Holder’s speculative installations force one to question every foundation taken for granted. Despite her interest in seemingly disparate subject matters, her works share a preoccupation with depth, be it the sea, the internet or the human psyché. Take a dive with us into the acclaimed artist’s perspective.

It is with great pleasure that we are introducing the next theme for the upcoming three months. FUTURE FORECASTING will delve into fringe notions on the outskirts of our reality, which are bound to become mainstream. The incredible accompanying animation was custom-made for SWARM Mag by French artist Guillaume Legoux.

What if there was a b-day celebration you couldn't leave… nor did you care to? We are immensely proud to present our freshest editorial to date in collaboration with Czech talents Shotby.us and Creative Embassy. The Endless Visit follows several partygoers caught in a web of flashy, vivid, slow-moving timelessness set in an opulent garden. How many days has it been? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?

Izraeli photographer and graphic designer Omer Ga'ash creates digitally manipulated composites that treat “the place and the body as a symbiotic system.” Omer's ten-year experience with professional dancing visibly reflects in his work, via a nearly tangible understanding of the possibilities and limits of the body.

Prague’s very own Olbram Pavlíček turns everyday objects and places into zones of intimate reflection. In his site-specific installation KORPSEPUNX he juxtaposed ergonomics and discomfort, the mundane and the aesthetic, and in this interview he even divulges the social implications of non-invasive body modifications.

Swiss photographer Roger Weiss manipulates our stereotypical perception of bodily beauty via unusual angles and digital distortion to create sculptural, clay-like figures with accentuated and distorted extremities that invite us to untangle and sort them out in our mind. With all redundancy and personality removed, Weiss sees the flesh revert to its ancient raw symbolism.

Jesse May Fisher employs the moving image and photography for the exploration of madness in her family history. In this interview she provides us with the interpretive context for her project Milk Fever (a folk term for post-natal depression) and touches on the questions of the body, femininity and herbal medicine passed down through generations.

Text by Alexander Lepianka captures the essence of Alexander Fahima’s audiovisual piece, The Rules of Attraction, which is a free-flowing series of real-time interactions, improvised snippets, and bodies. The use of a party as a medium sets the stage for opéra concrète – an amalgam of performance, livestream and excerpts from the libretto of Wagner's opera.

“I think we should all be asking questions we know we will never have the answers to, because thinking about them gets you as close to the truth as possible.” The Adelaide-based photographer Joseph Häxan tells us about his fascination with biological processes, nature and the photographic medium.

Based on the story of Adam and Eve, “nakedness became sinful the very moment it was first observed.” Latvian sculptor Miķelis Mūrnieks forged unyielding metal frames filled with malleable polyurethane foam, revealing abstract female nudes, intended to defy the male gaze – but can a male author achieve that?

Lotus Wash, aka David Herzig, is a prominent force on Prague’s music scene. Apart from working with Bert and Friends, Never Sol and Oliver Torr, among others, he is known for his captivating live modular synthesizer sets. He has recently released his debut album Field Theory on LBD Sounds, and in this interview he tells us about the debut release, his history with music, and creativity during pandemic times.

Czech digital artist and VR/AR format pioneer Michael Rosa is the talent behind our very first and incredible Instagram face filter titled, surprisingly, HEAVENLY BODIES. Rosa was kind enough to lift the curtain a little on his creative aims and processes in an exclusive interview. HEAVENLY BODIES available now for your pleasure, go play!

Czech poet Jan Jindřích Karásek and Finnish digital artist Lauri Renvall come together for an exclusive collaboration in this SWARM MAG entry. Delve into this unique intermedial play where text and digital art touch on the complex topics of today’s intimacy.