By Bas
Letting go of your work and having someone play with it without having anything to say can be hard. Argentinian video artist Sebastian Diaz Morales dared to surrender his work to the mercy of experimental guitarists Raphael Vanoli and Mark Morse, for Cinesonic's latest session last April. He kindly answered a few questions on this project and his work in general.
First of all, what were your thoughts when you first heard about using your work for a Cinesonic screening? Did you need to be convinced or did you like it right away?
I can say I was a bit reluctant when giving
away the work for re-editing. I didn’t have to think about it that much with Oracle and The Apocalyptic Man. With Insight
the story is different since it has been finished last year and only showed
once here in the country.
For
the three works used in this screening, what was the original soundtrack like? Was
it anything like the score provided by Raphael and Mark?
There is no similarity what so ever. Only
part of The Apocalyptic Man bridged
with the sort of aggressiveness of the image and its original sound track but
in any case it was of another nature. Let’s say their original tracks are not
that musical.
What
did you think of the end result?
They added an element of mystery that is
not embedded in the original soundtrack and less visible in the total
atmosphere of the works. This new soundtrack reinforces that aspect. It was a
great event and proposition which fitted the moment and played smoothly with
the films. The works embraced the music but didn’t change their aspect.
What
was it like to let go of your work, at least as far as sound was concerned,
especially with regards to Insight,
which only premiered recently at this years International Film Festival
Rotterdam?
As I said, that was a bit difficult and I
proposed another one instead of Insight
but then Bass insisted and since I respect his general vision on the matter of things
I agreed. Probably I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t personally know the
background of the proposition. Also I realized that Insight plays with these multiple points of view given by the
shuttering of the mirror. It is like a big puzzle trying to make sense of what
we see and perceive so another point of view on this would be consequentially
coherent with the concept.
At
first sight, the three films seem very different in style and tone, can you
explain what is the common ground of these three productions, and of your work
in general?
Mainly I intend to permeate into reality, and by
using the given elements of this, relocate its meaning transforming and shaping
it into other optional fictions. I do see reality as a big fiction and that
construction arises for me a lot of questions, which in my work I reformulate.
As for the formal aspects, there are many, and using this theme as the core of
the work and process I explore the diversities and capabilities of the medium film/video
to make a point on it.
Your
work has been screened in movie theatres, as installations in galleries and
this time it was accompanied by a live soundtrack. Is there any way you prefer
your work to be shown, and if so, why?
These film/video works have different
facets, and as such, depending on the nature of them, they can exist either as
an installation or on a theatre. Though my latest works are fit better for
display as an installation.
Raphael
and Mark told me most of the music they played was improvised, mainly based on
the mood and rhythm of your imagery. Does this method of working also apply to
your work?
Improvisation is always an option when
traversing the process of working. Either this can take place when shooting or
when editing. A lot of these works depend on a script which is based either on
a story or an idea. That’s the departure point, but from there on the paths can
be multiple.
Check out Sebastian Diaz Morales' work here
Check out Sebastian Diaz Morales' work here