Currently situated in Antwerp, artist Janne Schimmel deconstructs existing hardware and technological devices to reimagine what technology is and our relationships with it. Janne has always been surrounded by the arts ever since he was a child. This, alongside his love for video gaming encouraged Janne to go on to study a BA in Man and Mediaat the Design Academy Eindhoven. Studying at DAE enabled Janne to experiment and develop as an artist which in turn lead him on to become a respected artist in his ownright. At present, Janne is working on a project called ‘Phantasmic Gateways and their Housings’, which takes him back to his roots as he is experiementing with video gaming and alternative realities. Read on to find out more about ‘Phantasmic Gateways and their Housings’ as well as Janne’s other upcoming creative ventures.

What influenced you to get into the arts?

Both my parents are artists, so ever since I was young me and my sister were always taken to a lot of museums and exhibitions. I still remember, as a kid, running around museums and galleries during exhibition openings and having this interesting mix of feelings where on the one hand I was super bored and on the other I was very intrigued by all the weird objects and imagery. After high school I went to study mechanical engineering but very quickly figured out that the study was too theoretical for my liking and that’s when I decided to try out for the Design Academy in Eindhoven.

How would you best describe your practice?

I am very interested in investigating the technology and hardware that allows us to connect to our digital selves. Through deconstructing and rebuilding existing computer hardware and combining this with hand made objects I create sculptures that research our relationship with technology byproposing alternative modes of digital aesthetics and representation. This interest in de-and re-constructing machinery and digital devices stems from a sense of alienation that is akin to the way technology is designed; as sealed and inaccessible agents that are branded as too complex to comprehend for amateur users.Currently I am working on an ongoing research project titled; Phantasmic Gateways and their Housings. In this project I am considering the computer as the interface to an alternative reality as experienced in popular RPG’s (role playing games) such as World of Warcraft or The Elder Scrolls series. The design of these games is immersive and detailed, the grotto-like landscapes are littered with esoteric ritualistic objects such as power crystals, jewels, gems, and ancient shrines. However the game consoles and computers that allow you access to these worlds, remain minimalist black and silver boxes made out of metal and plastics. This symbolism was the inspiring factor to create the first installation of this project titled: Phantasmic Crystal Interface. This is a fully functional computer installation, breaking free from the one-sided mandate of technology, that can act as a spiritual interface to our digital selves, a shrine that acts as a gateway between the two worlds. Which was on display at the MK&G museum in Hamburg the first half of 2021during the exhibition ‘Life on Planet Orsimanirana’ by Jerszy Seymour.

Where do you tend to gather your inspiration from?

A lot of the ideas about materials,tools and manufacturing processes I get from spending my free time browsing DIY channels on youtube. Which can also be a pitfall, where many working days have been spent procrastinating as a result of watching videos. Recently I found a trick where if I don’t start my day watching youtube, I have much better concentration during the day.A lot of the objects I make start in my mind within a very vague conceptual framework, its usually only a month after I made the work that thepossiblemeaningsstart to reveal itself to me during talk with friends and family. A lot of my ideas about the feelings I have towards my work I develop and pull from having grown up playing video games, and still playing them today. Although I must admit that the real emersion I experienced as a kid playing these games now occurs much less often. Maybe this feeling is also something that I chase within my work.

What mediums doyouenjoy working with and why?

Recently I have been working a lot with metal casting and ceramic clay.Ilove how these materials allow you to create constructs that are hugging around other objects.I also very much like how formable and shapeless these two materials are in their mouldable stage but as soon as the metal cools down or the clay is glazed and fired it turns into this thing that has a very mesmerizing quality. It is very satisfying to me to see how this transformative stage adds the final layer onto the object. It makes me feel like I am collaborating with the material and I can leave the finishing of the object up to itself.Furthermore 3D modelling and printing always has a place in my work, I like the extremely precise shapes you can make with CAD software like Fusion360 and on the other hand the sculpting features on software like Blender that allow you to freely shape materials, like you would with clay, with the added benefit of having the CTRL-Z button.

You are a graduate from the Design Academy Eindhoven, whereyou studied a BA in Man and Media –how did your degree help you develop as an artist?

During my studies at the design academy, especially in the departments man and leisure and man and media in which I both spent a year, I experienced a lot of freedom. The focus of the study was always on personal development rather than forcing you to learn about one specific subject or skill. This allowed me to develop and trust my intuition about which interests and fascination to follow.

Where do you see yourself creatively in five year’s time?I just moved to Antwerp where I plan to stay for the coming years. For the long run I always have a fantasy about having a place outside of the city with a big workshop attached and no neighbours around who are bothered by noise or fumes, but for now having people and the city around me inspires me.What I fantasise about, and see myself working on the coming years, is to visualise a narrative that merges frivolity and friendliness with the world of technology.I think that the world of technology and science fiction can benefit from adding different nuances to their pallet of expression besides speed, power and efficiency. I think an evil cyborg should be able to live in a cosy apartement and be able to wear it’s grandparents jewellery.

What projects have you got upcoming for the remainder of 2021?I am currentlyworking on a new computer sculpture within the research project Phantasmic Gateways and their Housings, that will be on display at Everyday Gallery in Antwerp from mid Octoberthis year. Apart from the physical sculptural presence of this work the work also investigates the world of video game design in the light of the distinction we create between our corporeal selves and digital avatars.