About Me
“ I wandered into unknown lands & leaped forward, as it’s the only way to make sense of change. “
The domains I work in:
- Film
- Photo
- Audio
- Installation
- Sculpturing
- Design
My art is about finding that equilibrium, in which I capture a moment, a sensation that was in our now and vanished shortly after. Even when life sometimes seems to be an endless hurdle, my work tries to extract the colorful moments that keep us going. My practice focuses on the unknown layers of self, the mystery of not knowing and expressing this journey throughout life. It is about extending the experience of audiovisual work beyond the initial medium, finding new ways and utilizing the power of art.
As a product of the nineties and a blend of eurasian culture, I am very attracted to exploring my identity and the meaning of belonging. It is 2022 and the concept of freedom is under attack. No longer are borders fading, instead they are becoming more visible. As a young maker and thinker, life is central to my work, how people are inextricably linked to each other and it is now more than ever apparent that we need cooperation in order to survive as a civilization. I’m investigating the meaning of culture, the influence it has on society and the journey artists make to connect current sentiment to artworks.
I feel that my methods have reached a moment in this time(line), that is exploring very personal feelings yet translating these dark sensations into a colorful counter world. Not only am I pushing myself into what the technological limits are, my curiosity drives me into these very deep waters. I can feel as if I drew a map that led me through my own experience of time, in weird ways -and quite literally- a map back to these points in the universe. As a place where we once were.
Transdisciplinary expressionism artist, utilizing the power of color, movements and transformation. Creating works that transitioned from an observer's perspective to an internal expression, turning pain and loss into something positive. As I increase my arsenal of creative (digital) tools, my field of view increases, something that helps liberating my stories.
( My Artist Statement is something fluid, on a spectrum of interests, ideas and experiments. I take a general view of the many things that I engage with, being as receptive as I can be to the known and unknown. )
Aristo Vopĕnka is an artist and film director, born in the Netherlands and working from Brussels, Belgium. Vopĕnka uses a variety of artforms, including photography, film, video art, sculptures and installations. Through his work he is developing the genre Experiential Expressionism.
It is impossible to say when Vopĕnka became an artist, as the need for self-expression has always been there. Influenced by different styles and cultures, Vopĕnka experimented with different mediums and art forms , in his quest to find new ways of expressing himself. He graduated from LUCA | school of arts in 2019, where he obtained his master of art. Following his entrepreneurial drive in 2018, Vopĕnka co-founded DURVYN, a tech company working on the living experience of the future, innovating and merging art, architecture and lifestyle.
In his recent work Vopĕnka explores the boundaries between photography, illustration, painting and print. Using an experimental attitude towards these different media, new forms of expression take place. They are the beginning of a contemporary reinterpretation of expressionism which he has started to call experiential expressionism.
With his art Vopĕnka wants to touch the spectator through a total experience, in which the experience is part of the artwork. Designing that experience and the interaction with the viewer forms the core of his current research and main motivation in the creation of new works. The fascination to work with space, light, sound and visuals are a constant evolution of what we know, questioning the possibilities of today’s art.
In addition to freelance audiovisual work commissioned by musicians, Vopĕnka regularly collaborates with other artists, to broaden his horizon and find inspiration for new works. The portfolio website offers galleries, collectors and visitors an attractive platform to browse the oeuvre, allowing for direct interaction and exclusive views on the expanding body of work.
Awards
2021 - Dark Yellow Dot | Artist of the month - March
2020 - Smithsonian Magazine | Photo of the Day - 12.09.20
2020 - Art Jobs | Artist of the month October - Special Awards
2017 - LUCA school of Arts | Alumni Showcase
2011 - Kunstbende | Youth Art Festival - Film Award
Exhibitions
2022 - Museum Night Antwerp | Maagdenhuis - Revival solo exhibition (Antwerp)
2022 - Art Number 23 Gallery | Athens Open Art (Athens)
2021 - DURVYN immersive art | Revival solo exhibition (Brussels)
2021 - PH21 Photography Gallery | The art of photography (Barcelona)
2021 - Pragmata Collective | Open Fragment Exhibition
2021 - CICA ( Czong Institute for Contemporary Art ) | Over the Structures (Seoul)
2020 - DAGAZ Gallery | Early Dawn 02
2020 - Artdoc Photography Magazine | Japanese Garden
2020 - PinewoodStudios | The Lift-Off Sessions
2020 - Away Art Gallery | Summers Shadow Exhibition
2018 - PARTICLE + WAVE | Media Arts Festival (Calgary)
2017 - VAF wildcards showcase
2017 - Early Bird International Student Film Festival
Publications
2022 - Florafiction | Volume 3 Issue 1
2022 - Al-tiba9 | International Collectors’ Art Book
2021 - The Purposeful Mayonnaise | Vol. 1 Issue 3
2021 - Art Magazineium | Summer Issue
2021 - The Working Artist | III
2021 - Art Reveal Magazine | Interview (6p)
2021 - Al-Tiba9 | Artists’ dialogs (interview)
2021 - Milk Bath Art Magazine | Issue 01
2020 - Art Hole | Issue 07 - December
Grants
2021 - Flanders State of the Art - The Cultural Activity Grant
Education
LUCA - school of Arts | MA - Audiovisual Arts
RITCS | BA - Major Film Directing
AKV st. Joost | BA - Audiovisual Design