Lorenzo Papanti
Italian video artist
biography
Interview – 10 questions
26 June 2022
1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background
I work as a self-educated video artist, I have a degree in architecture and engineering, others fields in which I work.
2. When, how and why started you filming?
A performance was the first video I recorded, when I was sixteen: it came out spontaneously, I didn’t know exactly what I was doing.
3.What kind of subjects have your videos?
My videos are mostly in video performances, often mixed with digital technologies or digital post production. I also work full in digital space making animations.
4. How do you develop your videos/films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
Usually, every work has a different video style, given by the content and the message that I want to show. I don’t know if I’m still searching for my video style or I won’t find it ever.
5. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.
I use reflex for video recording, even though I used multiple portable sport cameras for many of my first videos. The rest of the work is made in digital, by using various software and that is the most important process of my work.
6. What are the chances of new media for the genre videos/films in general and you personally?
I think that new media bring a new way for information and for social life and they can replace old channels like television. In art, they represent the avant garde and the first way to experiment, even through AI software anche interactive works. They won’t substitute cinema, that is another expressive way that will survive independently. For my research, new media are very important for expanding video in and through the physical reality.
7. How do you finance your films?
All works are self financed and low cost. I think that for creating, for example a perfect animation or video shoot there are many other big studios with many employees, technicians, etc: I work as a lone researcher and I prefer the work on the message instead the perfect technical quality result.
8. Do you work individually as a video artis or do you work in a team? If you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you prefer?
As I have just said, I work alone, with an assistant if it is very necessary, otherwise I don’t feel comfortable expressing my ideas and feelings during recordings.
9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your video?
Quantum physics and relativity. I’m interested in these fields, though I’m not a scientist, and I think that there are many connections with my artistic research.
10. What are your future plans or dreams as a video maker?
What I want to do and I feel it’s my passion and very first way to express myself is video art, by performance and digital works. I would like to have the chance to experiment and make artistic works that are truly contemporary, that live the real language of contemporary art.