The Relentless Journey in the Name of Love
Martin Garde Abildgaard
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Dear Martin,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you for HocTok. You’re very welcome - the pleasure is mine. How can people familiarize themselves with your work and what’s the intended effect of your body of work? I think art is most interesting when it speaks for itself when there is no official meanings attached to it. That doesn’t mean that the work exists without an idea, message or opinion behind it. |
Martin and Weiwei |
But it’s much more exciting for people to get an experience to which they can attach their own meaning and opinions.
For me it’s up to the spectator to give my work value and meaning, depending on who they are, where they are in their lives and what they feel at that very second.
Everything does not have to be explained. I also think that this is the shortest way to identification and emotional responses.
Where do you go for inspiration when you take on a new project?
Often just outside. For a walk.
Besides that, still photography is always a great source of inspiration to me. Both fine art: documentary and portraits. I really admire photographers who are perfecting the art of composition and lighting, to create amazing still images. I have a huge archive on my computer with still images. In some way, I have connected with them earlier and often go through some of them, in the beginning of a creative process, to find inspiration.
Music is also a great part of my inspiration, but that is in a much more abstract way. I rely on music to get me in the right mood for writing or to set a special tone for a character in a story.
What is your most favorite project and why?
One of my latest projects is a music video for the artist TOM and His Computer, called “Organ”.
For a long time I have wanted to tell a story about the relentless journeys that destiny sometimes gives us, through our lives, and with this project the opportunity was there.
Our first big voyage is to be born and I found it attractive to use this very specific process as a setting for a story. An infant is safe and protected in the amniotic fluid and wants to stay there, but a sky-high power and process then begins, through birth, and nothing in the universe can stop it. It’s extremely scary, but also very beautiful and poetic, at the same time.
For me it’s up to the spectator to give my work value and meaning, depending on who they are, where they are in their lives and what they feel at that very second.
Everything does not have to be explained. I also think that this is the shortest way to identification and emotional responses.
Where do you go for inspiration when you take on a new project?
Often just outside. For a walk.
Besides that, still photography is always a great source of inspiration to me. Both fine art: documentary and portraits. I really admire photographers who are perfecting the art of composition and lighting, to create amazing still images. I have a huge archive on my computer with still images. In some way, I have connected with them earlier and often go through some of them, in the beginning of a creative process, to find inspiration.
Music is also a great part of my inspiration, but that is in a much more abstract way. I rely on music to get me in the right mood for writing or to set a special tone for a character in a story.
What is your most favorite project and why?
One of my latest projects is a music video for the artist TOM and His Computer, called “Organ”.
For a long time I have wanted to tell a story about the relentless journeys that destiny sometimes gives us, through our lives, and with this project the opportunity was there.
Our first big voyage is to be born and I found it attractive to use this very specific process as a setting for a story. An infant is safe and protected in the amniotic fluid and wants to stay there, but a sky-high power and process then begins, through birth, and nothing in the universe can stop it. It’s extremely scary, but also very beautiful and poetic, at the same time.
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Who are the artists whose work you see as a model?
I have always been very fascinated by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. He really has an unusual writing style, which I find very engaging. His characters tend to be isolated, lonely figures and he focuses a lot on these character’s psychology and not so much on the environment around them. His themes of alienation and sense of loss, is always noticeable in most of his novels, and it’s done in a very intelligent way.
Reading his books is always a very surreal experience for me, because he has an amazing way to make something very abnormal feel totally normal, and I really admire that skill.
His plots often feel dreamlike, and this results in a dreamlike mood, almost like a hallucinogenic trip, when reading his works. And then he never fully explains everything, which I really like.
Who are some of the artists you like collaborating with?
I have just finished a film together with the great Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
It is a short documentary/art film we did, about his latest project which is an exhibition at the Cycladic Museum in Athens, Greece, focusing on the refugee crisis in Europe.
Weiwei is active in sculpture, installation, architecture, photography, film and social media, always with a political and cultural approach, which makes him very interesting for me to work with. Thinking in all these different “platforms”, to communicate from, gives a lot of possibilities and also artistic freedom.
In the film we circle around topics like ‘freedom of speech’, ‘human struggle’ and his responsibility as an artist. He also describes, in an amazing way, how it felt to him, seeing the fugitives arrive at Lesbos in their boats for the first time. Very touching.
It was great collaborating with him and to comprehend some of the processes he uses, when he creates his art. He is fast thinking, extremely intelligent – and also a very, very nice guy. I like him a lot.
What entails being a director from Copenhagen, Denmark?
Wow, this is tricky… To be honest; I have no clue.
Some describe the style, in some of my work, as very “clean” and “minimalistic,” I guess referring to a Scandinavian look, whatever that means. It makes me think of furniture – not film.
Have you ever completed or thought of project as a dedication or love letter to your city? If not, would you ever consider such a thing? Why or why not?
No – I have never thought of that. But, it sounds like an interesting idea to explore.
I guess that I’m most often attracted by places far from home because they often appear more exotic and uncharted, which is appealing to me. Making a tribute to my home ground, could actually be a fascinating experiment.
Do you have a set routine or do you work in order to avoid routine?
I always get up very early in the morning to work. It’s very important to me not to be disturbed and the early hours give me the peace I need.
During the day, I also avoid e-mails, phone calls, social media etc. etc. as much as I can, again not to be disturbed. There is so much noise in this world. I do what I can to get away from it to obtain as much focus and awareness as possible.
I also try to get away from my computer as much as possible during the day, most often for a long walk. I think the best when I walk, not only when I use my brain, but also my body.
What’s the mantra you live and work by?
I try to be humble, keep an open mind, and continue learning.
What is the most hopeful news you’ve heard recently?
Well, that’s actually the easiest question to answers in this interview. But it’s about a hard topic.
A month ago my dear mother got diagnosed cancer and she was immediately taken to surgery. Last week we received the news, that all cancer now is gone and she is cured for now. A big relief.
I have always been very fascinated by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. He really has an unusual writing style, which I find very engaging. His characters tend to be isolated, lonely figures and he focuses a lot on these character’s psychology and not so much on the environment around them. His themes of alienation and sense of loss, is always noticeable in most of his novels, and it’s done in a very intelligent way.
Reading his books is always a very surreal experience for me, because he has an amazing way to make something very abnormal feel totally normal, and I really admire that skill.
His plots often feel dreamlike, and this results in a dreamlike mood, almost like a hallucinogenic trip, when reading his works. And then he never fully explains everything, which I really like.
Who are some of the artists you like collaborating with?
I have just finished a film together with the great Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
It is a short documentary/art film we did, about his latest project which is an exhibition at the Cycladic Museum in Athens, Greece, focusing on the refugee crisis in Europe.
Weiwei is active in sculpture, installation, architecture, photography, film and social media, always with a political and cultural approach, which makes him very interesting for me to work with. Thinking in all these different “platforms”, to communicate from, gives a lot of possibilities and also artistic freedom.
In the film we circle around topics like ‘freedom of speech’, ‘human struggle’ and his responsibility as an artist. He also describes, in an amazing way, how it felt to him, seeing the fugitives arrive at Lesbos in their boats for the first time. Very touching.
It was great collaborating with him and to comprehend some of the processes he uses, when he creates his art. He is fast thinking, extremely intelligent – and also a very, very nice guy. I like him a lot.
What entails being a director from Copenhagen, Denmark?
Wow, this is tricky… To be honest; I have no clue.
Some describe the style, in some of my work, as very “clean” and “minimalistic,” I guess referring to a Scandinavian look, whatever that means. It makes me think of furniture – not film.
Have you ever completed or thought of project as a dedication or love letter to your city? If not, would you ever consider such a thing? Why or why not?
No – I have never thought of that. But, it sounds like an interesting idea to explore.
I guess that I’m most often attracted by places far from home because they often appear more exotic and uncharted, which is appealing to me. Making a tribute to my home ground, could actually be a fascinating experiment.
Do you have a set routine or do you work in order to avoid routine?
I always get up very early in the morning to work. It’s very important to me not to be disturbed and the early hours give me the peace I need.
During the day, I also avoid e-mails, phone calls, social media etc. etc. as much as I can, again not to be disturbed. There is so much noise in this world. I do what I can to get away from it to obtain as much focus and awareness as possible.
I also try to get away from my computer as much as possible during the day, most often for a long walk. I think the best when I walk, not only when I use my brain, but also my body.
What’s the mantra you live and work by?
I try to be humble, keep an open mind, and continue learning.
What is the most hopeful news you’ve heard recently?
Well, that’s actually the easiest question to answers in this interview. But it’s about a hard topic.
A month ago my dear mother got diagnosed cancer and she was immediately taken to surgery. Last week we received the news, that all cancer now is gone and she is cured for now. A big relief.
