Magdalena Zolędź: Before we move on to Sara Kosmos, I would like to know something about you. How would you describe the theoretical background of your work and how is it related to your artistic practice?
Sebulec: While I studied animation at the Academy of Fine Arts' graphics department, I am self-taught in 3D. On my own, I learned the techniques used by developers of game characters and animation or motion design. These were often commercial projects and fit in with current trends. I consider technical excellence as important as aesthetic reflection and the search for unobvious solutions and combinations.
MA: Where do you look for inspiration? Do you refer to certain aesthetic or theoretical trends, or do you work spontaneously?
S: Sometimes when working on a commercial project - as long as the client leaves me some freedom - I think about what I would like to do at a given time, what theme or technique to explore, what new thing to learn. I gather inspiration from various places on the Internet, for example, from sites Deviantart or Furaffinity, as well as by going to exhibitions.
MA: How have the tools associated with digital image post-production influenced your artistic practice??
S: Often when rendering a digital image, separate channels are created for shadows, reflections and individual lights. Manipulating these parameters is part of artistic exploration.
MA: Does this mean that part of the process is random and due to the nature of the technology itself?
S: Of course. Most projects are now built procedurally, that is, based on nodes and code. Already at the construction stage one has the freedom to manipulate many elements. Even entering the work with an idea of the final result, one can accidentally stumble upon unexpected, visually appealing solutions that are worth paying attention to.
MA: What inspires you most about the aesthetics of the digital world?
S: I think the digital world consists of many different aesthetics, just as in painting we distinguish many different styles. The line between hyper-realistic rendering and photography is becoming increasingly blurred. I like the aesthetics of angular 3D from old computer games, I appreciate imperfections and randomness. 3D tools have been widely available for some time, including for artists. There are many courses and free teaching aids, so anyone can use 3D in an informed way.
MA: What is an avatar to you?
S: A combination of who we are and who we would like to be. With avatars, we can reveal our desires while remaining anonymous. We can also create a completely new character and step into his shoes, become a hero and live an adventure. An additional advantage of virtual representation is that it does not have to be limited to human form, it can be, for example, animal, or half-human and half-animal etc.
MA: Yes, it's very liberating. I think the non-anthropocentric approach to the form that an artist creates-including the form of the character and the subject-is very important. Please tell us about the process leading up to the creation of Sara Kosmos. Could you point to any work or project that was crucial in the context of her birth?
S: Sara Kosmos was created as a Polish response to the trend of virtual influencers, as a counterpart to Lil Miqueli, for example. The fashion for creating realistic portraits has led to the creation of more and more tools to facilitate this process. I primarily took care of the visual side of the project, but it was necessary, of course, to come up with her background, write out an action plan and design a personality. There was also the whole production side - stylists, photo shoots, distinctive nails, which Sara changed frequently.
MA: How do digital tools and phenomena - even if just the creation of avatars - affect elementary concepts related to the human condition, such as, for example, freedom, personality or the ability to choose. In your opinion, does virtuality allow you to deepen the meaning of such concepts? What issues are at the heart of Sarah Kos' project?mos?
S: I think the creation of avatars is particularly important for the transgender community - it helps to transcend the limitations of the body and provides an opportunity for expression consistent with identity. Another side of this phenomenon, for example, is the model of a community of type Second life or Imvu, where avatars aspire to look like celebrities, and virtual clothes and plastic surgery are purchased just as they are in the real world. In such conditions, capitalism thrives effectively, and expression is limited by the wealth of the wallet.
MA: How did you develop the look of Sara Kosmos?
S: The reference point was a large number of reference photos of teenage girls from the Pinterest. Later, by trial and error, we searched for Sarah's form and facial features. To see if she aroused sympathy, we got feedback from friends. Then we made decisions about hair, makeup, accessories, skin imperfections, etc. Hair was Sarah's weakest point - perhaps that's why I put so much emphasis on it now. So we used AI apps to improve hair, apply a smile, etc.
MA: Is hair modeling still a challenge for a 3D graphic designer?
S: In game studios or fx there are separate positions for those dealing exclusively with grooming. This is a very broad topic. Hair, like eyes, is an important part of a character - if it is done inexpertly, then it is easy to get an unrealistic, artificial effect.
MŻ: On what basis did you decide that Sara Kosmos would become an influencer? Could you reveal who worked on her image?
S: I can say that these were people associated with the portal poptown.eu, which is very open to technological innovations, collaborates with 3D artists and progressive photographers and photographers. Sara was created somewhat as a curiosity, but mainly as a commercial project.
MA: Have you been commercially successful?
S: Sarah's expansion in the world of infiltrators - and thus gaining fame and wealth - was brutally interrupted by a pandemic. However, we managed to establish partnerships on several occasions, including with the brand Local Heroes.
MA: Sara Kosmos has a profile on the portal Virtual Humans. How does this site work?
S: It is a kind of registry of virtual characters, as well as a platform dedicated to studying trends and popularity rankings on the ground of this phenomenon.
MA: Do you have a favorite character there?
S: I like @noonoouri, because it is very stylish. Creations Superplastic Are beautifully done and coolly conducted. I got a little bored with the characters taken out alive from the DAZ'a, so I appreciate the more stylized ones.
MA: How (and by what means) does Sara Kosmos make her narrative available to others?
S: Sara functioned primarily on Instagram. She posted photos from various locations, met with celebrities and artists, and participated in photo shoots. She also shared stories, in which she kept a diary and shared her thoughts on life in Warsaw. She interacted with her followers and replied to comments.
MA: So Sara Kosmos resides only on Instagram or on the Internet in general? Is her existence exclusively virtual?
S: Sara came to Warsaw and here her adventure began. She never hid that she was virtual and that she wanted to be popular. To build popularity she had to be in trendy places and do what influencers do. Instagram was the medium in which she reveled, but her concept lived in other places as well, if only in the heads of creators.
MA: How does photography influence the formation of Sara's character? In the context of (post)photography, Sara Kosmos is a particularly interesting concept, because it refers to the problem of the boundaries and meaning of photographic practice.
S: Sarah's photographs were taken during professional photo shoots. The arrangement of lights in the real world had to be reproduced in the virtual world during the creation of each portrait. We worked with a variety of interesting photographers and videographers, and the photo plan was always well thought out and prepared in advance.
MA: So was there a model on the set playing Sara? Does Sara appears only happens in post-production, and during the session it is replaced by a kind of actress?
S: Yes, of course. I'm amused by the comments where people asked questions about where they could see Sarah or asked if she was a doll. The concept of a virtual character is still not understood by everyone and can cause some confusion.
MA: What tools did you use to create Sara Kosmos?
S: 3D graphics, photography, text created by the person in charge of its statements and personality, application Face App, as well as all the resources used during Sarah's styling.
MŻ: How did you select the settings in which Sara appears?
S: I was not involved in the process, but there were places of visual interest, such as the staircase with the installation by Pawel Althamer in Targówek, casual places to being and shopping or fashionable Warsaw clubs. She would also occasionally visit places where something interesting was happening, or just explore the city.
MA: What is Cosmos for Sarah lens? What are they for her eyes Its own creators?
S: Sara strove for popularity and enjoyed every eye turned in her direction.
MA: What inspires Sarah most in the digital world? And what intrigues her most in the world of human or in the world of offline? Does Sara Kosmos sometimes offline?
S: Sara lived in her own world, and I honestly don't know if we would have liked each other had we met under different circumstances. We certainly could have chatted about art, since Sara frequented exhibitions and liked the artistic side of humanity.
MA: What does Sara Kosmos do when no one is looking at her?
S: I think he is constantly analyzing and thinking about how to adapt his algorithm to the latest trends to increase his popularity.
MŻ: I find it incredibly tiring and difficult. Your project aptly reflects the phenomenon of creation on the Internet and exposes the effects of the pressure exerted on social media users. Members of virtual communities go to great lengths to show themselves at their best - often a completely created image. When embarking on the work, did you want to refer to this problem?
S: I think it could be an interesting continuation of Sarah - a character after many plastic surgeries, a queen of life with inflated lips, wallowing in luxury. Perhaps she would conclude that she would achieve greater reach as an emo alternative? We are unlikely to find out anymore.
MA: Why did you decide that Sara would be a girl?
S: Partly because of the greater prospect of fashion collaborations, more styling opportunities and outreach. But I could successfully imagine all the styling done on a non-binary or queer person.
MA: Do you consider any of Sarah's portraits to be the most important?
S: I especially like the early portraits, when her appearance was not yet enhanced by various applications and filters. She had the look of an ordinary teenager then, with imperfect complexion and no heavy makeup. Later, the rush to popularity prompted her to constantly improve her appearance, dye her hair, slim down her face.
MA: I know that you also create NFT. I may be radically objectifying Sara now, but I wonder if you have ever considered putting Sara Kosmos up for sale.
S: No, because it does not belong to me. It's hard for me to say whether Sara will be reborn and exist as NFT, for now there are no such ideas.
M: How is Sarah doing now?
S: Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the project has been on hold while Sara waits for better times.
The interview with Sara Kosmos is part of the Ctrl F5 project (www.ctrlf5.pl), within the framework of which the artists explain how they use digital images using their own artistic practice as an example. The project is made possible thanks to a grant from the Fund for the Promotion of Creativity within the activities of the ZAiKS Authors Association.
Sara Kosmos (@sara.kosmos) - a virtual influencer from Warsaw, active between 2019 and 2020. She temporarily suspended her career due to the pandemic.
Sebulec (@sebulec) - co-creator of Sara Kosmos, works with 3D graphics, animation and computer game engines. He pays special attention to the characters of virtual companions, avatars and guides. He is also inspired by the culture and aesthetics of online fandoms. He creates posters for performances, animations and music videos. She lives and works in Warsaw.
Magdalena Żołędź - PhD student at the Faculty of Media Art at the University of Arts in Poznań; her dissertation (and artistic work) deals with the concept of post-photography. As part of this research, she co-leads with Anita Osuch i Lena Peplinskaya archive of "post-photography" projects on POSTFOTOGRAFIA.PL
2 Komentarzy
Magda
After all, this is clearly copied from polishboy08
Magdalena Żołędź
Thank you for your interest in the conversation! Many similar avatars are circulating on the Internet. Sebulc's favorite character, for example, is @noonoouri. As for Sara Kosmos, she was created in cooperation with poptown.eu as a Polish response to the trend of virtual influencers, such as Lil Miqueli. I invite you to check out other works by the artist. Greetings!