pascal yerly

ART021 Shanghai- November 11-14th 2021

Interview by Emma He

Having grown up in the country side of Fribourg (Switzerland) in a 17th century castel, I have been exposed to culture and nature since early childhood. The Castel compound had a forge and carpentry which were part of my daily creative universe as much as researching the old historical archives and buildings, among side of the whole farming joyful liveliness and hard labors.

Creativity and intuitive thinking are parts of my daily state of mind. Since more then 20 years, my artistic mediums have been consistently evolving from mixed media painting, 3D an art installations , vidéo & digital arts, to performances ; back and forth. These last 2 years, sound design has taken a significant dimension in my multidisciplinary activities in the visual arts. An exciting Live performance was presented on stage with a live drumming by Martin Bielmann this very last Friday, 5th of November 2021.

2. What are the inspirations that you got from Switzerland?

By spending as much time as I can in nature, my inspiration is often highly stimulated. Discovering removed locations in nature through mountain activities, observing and touching the ephemeral beauty of the glaciers where pure energy can be experienced as much as its dramatic destructive power and fragility. Sustainability is not an option any longer. My interest about sociology, history or archeology has also led me to try to understand and produce art pieces on the Swiss ancestral culture and its origins which are still quite mysterious up to these days because of the lack of written evidences and due to disappearance of the human artifacts. Nonetheless, emulations can be found for instance within the folks culture and the question of what do they mean to us these days is important, individually but also for our generation facing tremendous changes.

3. How do you combine the high-tech part together with the art creations in your work?

Digital technologies and AI are now part of our daily life as an extension of ourself as cyborgs. Instead of rejecting the virtual reality that is now shaping our lives, I have chosen to use these technologies to enhance my research and creative expressions reflecting on the collective unconsciousness, AI intelligence, the nature or the cosmos. Technically, “Pure Energy” project is combining, scanning technologies of real elements, the postproduction is achieved with 3D & AI softwares in real-time programming and allowing me to explore mixed realities. Sound has become a sort of guidance allowing me to create a travel through time and space with visuals and sounds. Digital prints and VR production for immersive installation are currently under developments.

4. Share us a bit about your connections to China.

My first stay in China was back in 2003. My wife being Chinese, I naturally opened myself to Chinese culture. Many exhibitions have taken place in China these last years with also collaborations with the Swiss Embassy in Beijing and synergies with the Chinese artist Liu Ruowang.