Traces

With a catalogue, for example, research is the starting point—research about the artistic work and the artist’s biography. If possible, we also visit the artist in his or her studio in order to get an idea of the atmosphere in which his or her art is being developed. I try to be open to the background noises—for the traces that the artists leave in their environment. Something supposedly neglected on the ground or the wall can be inspirational. In one case, we found intriguing telephone sketches, for example.
    At that point, I start to interpret what I experience and try to go beyond the obvious level of basic research. My aim is to convey parts of the artist’s context and personality, next to his or her artistic work. But this part of the design process doesn’t follow a specific procedure. The process becomes vague, in a positive sense. Xiao Mage