10 Questions with Aleksandra Vizin

Aleksandra Vizin is a creative director and photographer living in Sarajevo. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s, she faced turbulent changes in her country following the four-year war and faced living in Sarajevo while the city was under siege. From a young age, Aleksandra showed interest in a less commercial approach to everyday living by choosing specific styles and often attitudes. She switched through many different professions, including working as a TV and magazine editor, journalist, producer, and marketing director, at the same time testing various types of artistic hobbies, until quarantine in the Covid pandemic didn’t reveal an escape and salvation into fields of photography.

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ARTIST STATEMENT

Aleksandra has a direct, somewhat raw approach to photography with limited use of postproduction techniques. She prefers shaping imagination with reality, choosing contrast as a main tool. She sees photography as a channel of communication with strong messages. Using costumes, creating stories, and developing characters it’s very often in her work. Without following any strict rules, Aleksandra tries to keep elements of surprise, freedom, and uniqueness.

INTERVIEW

Let's talk about yourself first. Why are you an artist, and how did you become one?

I'm not sure if I can give a precise answer to this question. I believe for the best things in life, we are just guided by our gut feeling. It is not any special philosophy; someone is born to be a scientist or an artist. No big difference. We are who we are. Art, like life, is self-discovery.

How did you develop into the artist you are today? What training or experiences helped you in the process?

I've been entrenched in the creative industry for the past two decades. My journey has taken me through various facets, including video production, advertising, and delving into copywriting. However, photography emerged as a form of solace during the isolating times of the Covid-19 pandemic, igniting a new chapter. My development has largely been a self-guided process, although I've drawn immense value from online tutorials, which offer practical insights. Moreover, the frequent interactions with fellow photographers have been instrumental in my growth. Leveraging my prior professional experiences has also significantly contributed.

In your work, you seldom use post-production, but you rather rely on the construction of the set and photography itself. How does it help you communicate the message you want to express?

I view my work as a puzzle, and within that, I like to manipulate the experience of reality. By focusing on the construction of the set and the raw essence of photography, I can challenge the conventional notions of what is deemed "acceptable." Often, a subtle alteration in the positioning of just one element is enough to completely transform the expected narrative. I believe that artists, myself included, communicate messages primarily directed inward. Likewise, I believe that artists create for themselves, not for others. While audiences certainly interpret and derive their own meanings from art, the core of creation lies in the artist's journey.

You often create sceneries and characters for your series. How do you keep your body of work cohesive?

I like contrasts. I don't try to make and keep the photo balanced or uniform. I do what I feel; that's the only cohesion I'm aware of. This unfiltered approach, rather than adhering to strict visual consistencies, is the underlying thread of my creative impulses. This perspective allows my sceneries and characters to coexist in a way that's true to my artistic vision yet constantly evolving, just like the diverse facets of life itself.

What are your main sources of inspiration? Do you draw from fiction, literature, and movies, or do you rely on personal experiences, perhaps revisited?

I find my primary wellspring of inspiration within myself. Describing the origin of ideas is a task that often eludes words – they emerge seemingly out of thin air. Personally, as someone who loves science fiction and the realms of fantasy, I'm particularly captivated by the bizarre and the extraordinary.

Ultimately, what are the messages you want to communicate with your work?

Individuality is to be celebrated. We simply don't have to be the same. It's not obligatory to create commercially or to embellish reality in order to be recognized; there's incredible value in pursuing art for art's sake. For me, the most significant challenge lies in pushing the boundaries within boundaries. Beauty has many definitions.

Do you plan to experiment with any new medium or technique? And if so, in which direction would you like your work to develop?

Currently, my primary focus remains on photography. However, I've been contemplating the realm of sculptures as a fascinating avenue to explore. Admittedly, it feels like a rather ambitious endeavor at this point. As the saying goes, you never truly comprehend the possibilities until you take that leap and try.

On that note, what are you working on right now? Do you have any new projects or series you are currently developing?

I rarely plan ahead. There's a certain thrill in not knowing precisely what I'm seeking. It's like deciding what I'll work on just moments before the idea materializes. On these days, I'm envisioning a concept involving the integration of a bovine brain and eyes into a setup. The specifics of the context are still open and to be defined.

What is your biggest goal for the rest of 2023?

My overarching ambition is to attain a level of mastery that allows me to significantly reduce the need for post-production interventions. This endeavor aligns with my dedication to preserving the raw stories that I strive to convey through my work.

And lastly, where do you see yourself and your work five years from now?

This is a challenging question, indeed. An artist's journey can be quite unpredictable, so looking five years ahead, it's difficult to predict with certainty. The spectrum is wide – I might find myself stepping away from it all tomorrow, or conversely, I might discover new depths within myself and witness a connection between my work and the emotions of an audience. That would be a nice symbiosis. Until then, let's go with the flow.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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