Bob Vanderbob | Belgium
Brussels-based artist, composer and filmmaker Bob Vanderbob explores the interaction of art, science and science fiction to conjure up Artificial Mythology, a modern mythscape conveying a poetic vision of the techno-human condition. His installations probe our longing for meaning and beauty in the context of ecological degradation, political turmoil and technological acceleration.
Fecundity
Contemporary Art Station: What’s your background?
I practiced experimental theatre while studying math and system modelling at university. As a musician and composer, I later attended the Creative Music Studio in New York and released two albums on Crammed Discs under the name Bobvan. I went on to study electroacoustic composition and became interested in sound spatialisation. I created a series of sci-fi themed sound environments that increasingly came to include more visual elements. About twelve years ago, I started to look at my work through the framework of mythology, and devoted myself entirely to developing the Artificial Mythology project.
CAS: What does your work aim to say?
I believe in our potential for collective transformation. Through my work, I want to suggest the possibility of metamorphosis. My installations are staged in a darkened space. I project images onto 3D-printed masks and figures and immerse the visitor in an intense sonic environment. My aim is to induce a state of quiet trance, not unlike what we experience in dreams, where usual categories and boundaries dissolve. This is conducive to making new mental connections. Each of my installations can be seen as a landmark in what I call a mythscape.
CAS: How does your work comment on current social or political issues?
I project myself forward in time, beyond the present moment of turbulence, fear, resentment and fragmentation. I want to take a broader perspective and focus on the big picture. I explore what values could unite us Earthlings. This will be particularly relevant in a post-Covid world. My logo is inspired by the "enlarge to full screen" icon present on our media players. I think of it as the big-picture logo. The yellow dot in the middle represents the sun. We are the children of the solar system.
Excavation
CAS: Who are your biggest influences?
Countless scientists and writers have influenced my outlook. I learned a lot from the writings of Joseph Campbell on mythology.
CAS: How has your art evolved over the years?
When I was younger, my art was all about self expression. As a musician, I thought my feelings and inner states were the most important things in the world and all my energy was directed at expressing them. My approach was pure instinct and guts. Today, I am more reflective. The process is much longer and is informed by intensive research. Each of my installations can take years to mature. I hope my work is more open and more universal than it used to be.
CAS: What does art mean to you?
Art-as-mythology is a layer of poetry conjured over the landscape, an augmented-reality layer of sorts. It stems from our storytelling instinct. An artistic act is of course personal and subjective but it is magic when it resonates with others. Each such moment of resonance is a moment of beauty, it is proof that we are alive and we are not alone. Beauty is hard to define, but we recognise it when we experience it. I think it has to do with the embrace of light and dark, of life and death, and the regeneration instinct.
CAS: What’s the most valuable piece of art to you?
One that moves me.
CAS: What’s next for you in the future?
I have ideas for new installations, which I'll be developing. I am also working on a film script for a sci-fi story that came to me fully formed when waking up one morning.
Accelerando
