Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

Interview: Lisa-Marie Vlietstra

Luca Curci talks with artist Lisa-Marie Vlietstra during LIQUID ROOMS – THE LABYRINTH exhibition in Venice.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra (The Netherlands, 1990) is a visual artist based in Amsterdam. She graduated from the Photography Department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2014. Working within an interdisciplinary field of film, photography and performative arts, her work enfolds a sincere interest in the psychological aspects of the human mind. This derives from a necessity to come to an understanding of the world and the people in it, viewing them in terms of the other and the self. How do we relate to one another and how do we define ourselves towards each other? How are we shaped to see and portray ourselves the way we do?

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

In her recent work she investigates these questions through positioning the camera between her subject and herself, creating a power play, a struggle in representation of self and an unusual relationship. The work is often of autobiographical nature, her latest film unfolding a personal heritage, closely observing, framing, tormenting characters of main influence. Vlietstra attempts to transform the personal into the universal, dealing with the semantics of relationships, the origin of self, family, tragedy, addressing the human and the elementary. Her work is imbedded with retrospective qualities that find their origins in her personal history, influencing her artistic practice, the work itself and inevitably the viewer. A triangular dynamic she consciously integrates into her creative process.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

Luca Curci – Can you talk about your personal experience in Venice with International ArtExpo?

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra – Unfortunately I was not able to attend LIQUID ROOMS THE LABYRINTH exhibition in Venice , I was in Bangkok at that time. I would have loved to be present to experience the preparations, enjoy the artworks and the artists that were brought together for this exhibition. I am still very curious to grasp more of what I missed so it is great that the artists are able to elaborate on their practice and share their thoughts through these initiated interviews.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Breathe

L. C. – Can you talk about the artwork you presented in Venice? How is it linked with the festival’s theme?

L-M. V. – The work presented in the LIQUID ROOMS exhibition were two video works that both developed from a strong and personal necessity. They have been created over a longer timespan not with the intention to be connected, but in retrospect I discovered that many of my video works of the past years derive from the same emotion and are imbedded with the same relentless questioning. The work enfolds the attempt of understanding a personal heritage and deals with the ephemerality of the emotions I encountered, translating them into direct physicality in one of the videos. I attempt to transform the personal into the universal, dealing with the semantics of relationships, the origin of self in an endless quest, I think therefore the work has been a good fit to THE LABYRTINH theme of the exhibition.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

L. C. – What are you currently working on?

L-M. V. – Currently my practice investigates the perceptive experience of cinematic reality. I am working with more filmic material that elaborates on some core subject matters which continue to appear in my work, taking them towards a somewhat abstract direction. This allows me to focus on the possibilities of the various media I employ and therefore I continue to work within the interdisciplinary field of Film, Photography and Performative arts.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

L. C. – What is art for you?

L-M. V. – Art for me is an open translation of true intention, interest, fascination and emotion into a visualisation of its embodiment, and most importantly, this embodiment should be true to the intentions crucial to its creation and to what it wishes to convey.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

L. C. – What do you think about International ArtExpo organization?

L-M. V. – I think International ArtExpo is a great initiative that stimulates the creation of a wider framework in which artists from many different backgrounds “clash” in a most inspiring way. The possibility this interstice brings is to show this great variety of artistic practice to not only the public but to the artists themselves which in my opinion brings them great opportunity to reflect on the inference of their work.

Lisa-Marie Vlietstra, Look At Me, video still

L. C. – Do you think International ArtExpo organization can represent an opportunity for artists?

L-M. V. – Yes of course! it is a great possibility in terms of the wide exposure IT’S LIQUID platform provides and the artistic international dialogue that is opened is for me of great impact to every artist invited to participate.