revision COMPLETE scheduled for publication
Pako Quijada
Pako Quijada
Captions 2, details
An artist's statement
‚XV‘ was born as an exploration of the iconography of the devil. This being a character whose enigmatic nature has always interested me, I wanted to create a piece that captures our culture‘s interpretation of demonic possession. We can‘t see the devil, but we can see the influence it has on the character in the
video, which leads him into a mental state of paranoia. The actual process of creating this video was an important part in the shaping of the final piece. I decided to let my own intuition lead its making and follow an evolutionary path that ended in a more abstract piece that tried to bring the visual capabilities of light, sound and editing to its fullest accomplishment. The video tries to convey into a visual language than transcends the screen into a visceral and
A still from XV, 2013, 3 min., single channel video
claustrophobic feeling and, in a way, it also serves as a study of the limitations of a video work and intends to take advantage of the framing to create a feeling of anxiety. ‚XV‘ is an opaque and demanding work and by that, it is inherently inclusive towards the contemplator. The work opens a pathway to immerse oneself into the sight and sound and let the body react to it intuitively. A vital part of this video is the densely layered audio track. By using deep vibrating sounds
and, in parts, escalating it to an almost cacophonic wall of noise a heightened state of alertness is created within the beholder, playing with a primordial fear that is rooted deep within our psyche. This is not a piece about the person on the screen nor its maker, it‘s a piece about the watcher and how certain ways of film making can work to manipulate our sense of reality.
A still from XV, 2013, 3 min., single channel video
An interview with
Pako Quijada Through a masterly editing technique reminding us of Guy Maddin's extreme neuro-cut, Pako Quijada lead the viewer to explore a saturated space, realizing a psychedelic iconography of the devil. Pako, how did you come up with the idea for your video "XV"? I have always been highly interested in these type of characters and how they are perceived in society. The idea for “XV” came from a book I read about the devil. At some point, the author commented how unlikely it was for the devil to be singing the “Hosanna Anthem” and that’s when the concept for the video was born. At first it was meant to be a project with religious connotations but I decided to focus in a more abstract depiction of it, in which the devil is not something tangible yet a very present and powerful force. ? Boundaries and borders are treated in your work not according a metaphoric vision, but a sort of metonymic approach envolving the nature itself of cinema: a rare reflection upon the concept of the space, and even about the cinematographic concept itself of "frame", which can reveal itself as infinite or claustrophobic. Could you take us through your creative process when starting a new project? Each project requires a different process. I usually come up with an idea but I let it rest until I have made sure it’s worth exploring. During that time, which can vary, I do research on and off and start shaping the concept in my head. I always try to keep a very fluid creative process in which the original idea can change considerably. I also like to leave some time between shooting and post-production. It’s important for me to distant myself from a project before I go into
Pako Quijada
the last stage of production. However, in the case of “XV” everything happened very quickly and I was shooting only a few weeks after coming up with the idea.? In XV you try to lead the viewer to a sensory overload: this "logic of sensation", to quote the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, reveals many similarities to the art researches by Francis Bacon and Jenny Saville in painting: how do you achieve this sensory"saturation" effect? There are two main characteristics in order to achieve the saturation effect. One of them is the movement and lighting that were accomplished during the shooting. I wanted to capture images that were in constant movement and kept oppressing the character in the video. The other one came from the editing of both image and sound. None of them were created before the other, but evolved together during post-production.?
A still from XV, 2013, 3 min., single channel video
Frames are domined by a strong presence of white, like negative film. Why? I wanted to experiment with the sound and I wondered how long could I keep a white screen, where apparently nothing happens but still moves the viewer. My idea is that, by the time the video gets to its climax with the hyperactive editing, the viewer is completely involved in an aura of mystery and confusion created by the first minute of sound.? What kind of technology have you used in producing it?? The video is produced with very limited resources. Everything you see in it was shot as it is, with the use of a digital camera and live lighting. The blue predominance and the digital errors appear in the video as they were recorded. The sound is the only part that was highly modified having used mainly my voice to later distort it to achieve a dramatic effect.?
We have previously quoted Guy Maddin's extreme editing style in our interview: can you tell us your biggest influences in art and how they have affected your work? I would say my main influences come from film, rather than art. This is mainly because I studied Filmmaking. At this early stage of my art career, I’m unaware of which artists have influenced my work although it’s very interesting to hear people’s reactions to my work and how they relate it to other artists. I am a huge fan of works by Shirin Neshat, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Bill Viola, Edvard Munch and Jenny Saville.? Now we wonder if you would like to answer to our cliché question: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction? What I enjoy the most is having the freedom of talking about whatever I want. That is the best
A still from XV, 2013, 3 min., single channel video
thing about art, it’s an ultimate expression of what the creator feels and thinks and knowing that I have no rules that I need to follow is a great motivator. The biggest satisfaction is having feedback. Listening to people’s thoughts and their own interpretations, how
they relate to my work, always makes me really happy.? Thanks for sharing your time and thoughts, Pako. What's next for Pako
Quijada? Are there any film projects on the horizon? I’m always working in different projects at the same time. This year I have finished a video that is the introduction to a 4-channel video installation called “Intermission”, exploring
emotional connections shaped by distant memories, which I hope to complete by the end of 2015. I am also in the early stages of a video based on German expressionism. In between, I’m sure there will be other smaller projects that will keep me busy.