Interview: Cristian Diez Sanchez
Luca Curci talks with Cristian Diez Sanchez during THE BODY LANGUAGE 2022, at THE ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

Born in Santiago de Chile, he spent his youth working with copper in a family arts craft business that opened his mind to the world of sculpture. He studied architecture in Chile and when finished moved in early 1976 to Barcelona, and began working as an industrial designer for living. Starting in 2000, he expanded his skills in home renovation for several years, and almost in parallel, he was in charge of the development and management of a website of a tourist apartment company. Having studied drawing, metal engraving, architecture and with all the years of experience as an industrial and graphic designer, he started out as a self-taught working in sculpture and using the materials nearest to him and to the ex-design studio that needed to be completely transformed, into a workshop more or less suitable to develop the work coming ahead.

Luca Curci – What is art for you?
Cristian Diez Sanchez – Art is an abstract concept open to profound disputes that encompass creations made by men with the intention to express a sensitive vision about the world, whether real or imaginary. Forms part of the culture and the transmission of cultural ideas and values that can reflect economic and social bases and is inherent to any human culture throughout the space-time continuum. Allows expressing ideas through any resource of emotions, perceptions, and sensations. Can be applied not only to the traditional concept but also to any work developed with excellence, care and dedication, to any activity with rules necessary to optimally be developed: talking about “culinary art”, “medical art”, ” martial arts”, “trawling arts” and a long list. Art is related to creative workers that have developed ability, skill and talent in their fields to be able to produce excellence in their fields. For Aristotle, in his treaties, “resides in the production process and not in what is produced: the products of art may or may not be; those of nature arise from necessity.“Every art is a production, but not every production is an art: only conscious production based on knowledge is. The one based on instinct, experience or practice is not art.”

LC – Which subject are you working on?
CDS – The pandemic has influenced my work deeply as before I used to be mostly subtly (or not so much) critical to the political, social and cultural classes, now I am working on a Series that looks more to the healing process of the human being. The “Workout-Asana” Series directly implies exercising as a necessary basis to get out of the stagnation of confinement due to the Covid and the profound change it has produced within society. Other Series worked in parallel are “Les Danseurs” using dancing as a way of communicating in a relaxing way and also moving around, so necessary in the world we are living in, and a new Series recently started, called “Al Tramonto” (in Italian, at sunset) related to the peaceful moment in life when you are looking the sunset.

LC – Are your artworks focused on a specific theme?
CDS – My work has always been related to the human being, expressed in different ways, from near abstraction to more realistic figures to a minimal expression in which sometimes the figures are intuited. Worked on studies of human heads and human bodies and everything related to movement and expressions and emotions. Are the human being that has all the attention in my work and I often use daily life as inspiration for my work and also news or whatever-related to the human being that can call my attention even walking on the streets.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
CDS – There has always been an evolution in my work. I work in Series to force a constant change. Each series has to express something different and has to be developed in a different way. The emotions expressed need to be different also. So there is always a constant change. Even using the basics of the same concept related to Arte Povera, Minimalism, Brutalism and Rationalism, the work evolves looking to achieve more clarity in the concepts used. At this moment I am working on a series with the most basic element, pure cardboard, and looking to simplify the image to a point that the viewer needs to use their imagination to complete the image.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
CDS – It’s always different as while you are in the process you can see that you’re getting to what you wanted or not. And clearly, when it’s finished the emotion is different. Either way never too much time to spend on completed work as I am normally working two or three different ones at the time, in different stages; so when one is finished another one comes to replace it. I am a creative worker so I need to keep my work going on. Sometimes I value more the process than the finished work. This is related to what I mentioned before my relationship with art. Inspiration doesn’t come from any other place than work; and work is what can allow you to grow as it is a process that never stops. The necessity to be working creatively is what keeps going on. When a work is finished it may give satisfaction to see it, but in general is more important to keep working.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this exhibition? How did it inspire you?
CDS – The body language is what forms my work. At all times I work with human emotions and this is what I hope the viewer gets it and reacts to. For me is important the action and reaction of the viewer as he forms part of the work. My work doesn’t exist if there is no viewer. The idea of this exhibition sounds great as it did fit perfectly in my work so I was engaged the moment I heard about it. I was not inspired, I thought I had to form part of it.

LC – We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
CDS – The work presented was not created for the exhibition. It just forms part of my work. To the contrary, I had problems deciding which work to present in Venice as my work moves always around the body language. As it is complicated to move my work just to bring only one work was really a difficult choice, also because with two or three works together it could have been more understandable what I do.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
CDS – Yes, it has been a really interesting experience as it is the first time that I move one of my work, that are really fragile prototypes even the image that they have of finished products. The staff has been charming and effective and the relationship through email was clear and precise.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists? CDS – Difficult to have an opinion on this matter, as it is the first time I participate in sending one of my works, so I have no previous experience to compare or about what other help could be given to the artists. Thinking on sculptures clearly, the only thing that may be needed is to help to find Patrons or Sponsors, private or public institutions that maybe be interested in promoting art and artists.

LC – What is your idea about ITSLIQUID GROUP?
CDS – Expressed on the videotaped the morning of the opening with Luca, the idea of Itsliquid Group is of great importance to move art and artists in this new way of life we have in front. To have good channels were to spread art and put artists in contact in between and to the viewers is very important as now there are the means to do it and on the contrary, artists feel more than ever closed in their locations. So I hope and expect that the work of Itsliquid group can grow up and be really effective for artists to be able to show their works in different places of Europe, the States or as far away as they can get, keeping the good work at home. Venice is Venice, and in this case, there is no competition, a great place to show the artwork.