Julian Bonequi is one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch '22

Beyond his career as a hybrid artist and XR composer, Bonequi's work points to the practice of liminal capacities, leading to the perception beyond the imaginary of what we have not yet been able to decipher as a whole, nor as individuals, and how it is that we have lost contact with the senses to perceive, feel and listen to the other voices of the Planet. His work mixes ritual practices that range from interactive writing to syntax and 3D synthesis through contemplation, where the oneiric interweaves gestures from liminality and love of the living.

After his Master studies in 3D animation and of Video Game Design, Bonequi collaborated with Interactive Technology Groups and of Neuroscience in Barcelona. He is the founder and retired curator of Audition Records Berlin-Mexico. He has performed in orchestras and ensembles in London, Berlin, Spain and Mexico. Winner of the Konzerthaus Berlin 'Interacive Composition' as VR Artist and of CTM Radio Lab Berlin, among others.

ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

How did you get started as an artist?

It has been a very long road with many seemingly unconnected chapters. I started doing automatic writing when I was 14 years old. When I was 19, I started improvising with music and oil painting while studying Philosophy. But it wasn't until years later, while I was studying Photography, that my creative process really accelerated to my current path.

In 2004 I moved to Madrid to study 3D animation, and in 2006 to Barcelona to specialize in Video Game Design. In the following years, in addition to performing with European Orchestras, while collaborating with Interactive Technology and Neuroscience Groups, that's when I realized how to hybridize interactivity with real-time music and computer graphics through mixed reality. Then I quit University life and moved to Berlin in 2010 to focus.

How would you describe your artistic approach?

I have a strong interest in transmedia narratives, interaction Design and Extended Reality.

At the same time narrative and sound are indivisible for me, which is why 90% of my works are connected with cathartic ritual music and liminality.

In recent years I've been focusing on all kinds of interactive sonic interfaces for virtual reality and augmented reality, and I'm currently flirting heavily with Artificial Intelligence.

But my main interest with AI is the power and beauty of raw syntax, working as magic spells, where you conceive an idea, and test if you invoked it accurately, and not only in generating unexpected imaginaries.

And how about what inspires you?

Perception and contemplation. In recent months I have been working mainly in the mountains.
I have just returned to my hometown, after 3 beautiful months. Paradoxically, I was doing a lot of AI syntax exercises, looking at all the AI ​​technologies I had access to, like Disco Diffusion, Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion: conducting organic input contrasts, inspiring my ideas for the AI ​​prompts, after long walks through the woods and gazing at leaves and trees for hours every day... while experiencing peace as my main inspiration to work with AI.

In a certain way, I consider that current immersive technologies are a vibrant 3D-CG representation of all the ancestral magic that we dreamed of as children before the internet era.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an artist?

Time. I think it is a great challenge to accept the difference between what is imagined and what is experienced, for the good and the bad.

To be consistent and really achieve a clear message. To maintain a constructive vision and focus on action.

Describe a typical day in the studio/wherever you make your work.

I'm a nomad and I have been moving a lot since July 2021. So the idea of a typical day changes quite often for me. My life in essence is more or less the same wherever I'm, no matter if it is a beach, forest or city, because I travel with a nomadic studio including all my necessary hardware.

I usually do a bit of AI when I wake up, and depending on the day, I work modeling in 3D, developing for virtual or augmented reality, and learning traditional sculpture, because I have a new prosthetic project in mind.

When I want to relax, I have a handmade harp and some pedals and I love to sing. After the music break, I do more 3D for my ongoing interactive projects, and so on. The rest of the time I enjoy chilling, meditating, or meeting friends.

Is there a medium, a process, or a technique that you haven't used in your work yet but would like to try out?

To make some kinetic fashion designs would be my next dream.

Currently, I have been studying traditional sculpture and biomaterials with some amazing female professors here in Mexico. Especially because I’m trying to make a balance between the amount of time I spend developing extended reality projects on the computer and from a therapeutic point of view either, to materialize new organic hybrids for more interesting interactive art installations and hybrid mechatronics for experimental opera.a

What are you currently working on? Or an upcoming project you want to mention?

I am working on a new interactive virtual reality performance that will premiere in Mexico City next month as part of my solo show at the MAIA Contemporary Gallery. It will be a hybrid between live cathartic chants interacting within an artificial intelligence inspired world developed as an extended reality performance under the concept of the exhibition. The exhibition is called GA.IA. Portraits and visions in multispecies scenarios.

How does it feel to be selected as an ArtConnect Artist to Watch?

It's great that you give artists space to share their thoughts, as well as being an inspiring platform to share our work.

Anything else you want to add?

If you are in Mexico City, stop by the GA.IA exhibition at Maia Contemporary or visit the very cool selection of works we made for the catalogue available at Artsy.

See more of Julain Bonequi’s work

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