10 Questions with Fernando Gimeno

Fernando Gimeno Pol (Barcelona, 1989) is an artist whose practice spans photography, sound, and video. In recent years, his artworks have revolved around nature, involving a series of incursions into forests and utilizing various devices to document and rethink the idea of nature as a mirror of the human condition.

Among his works, "Red Light" stands as an emotional drift through diffuse, everyday images, collages, and paper notes. All of this is arranged in the form of a sentimental journey, in which the sensation of loss dominates over the "longed for" or "indifferent" encounter. Sheets more or less disheveled, more or less empty; corridors of white pallor; loose notes betraying a certain lack of communication (so close, so far), and that Red Light of the exhibition's title underlining the road to nowhere of so much frayed emotion.

The solo show at ''La Llotgeta,'' Obra Social de Caja Mediterráneo, Valencia, garnered enough attention to be featured on Ivory Press's blog as well as being reviewed in Makma magazine. In addition to his solo work, he was also part of the independent publishing house Carne Press, which produced artist books and fanzines and received the INJUVE Grant from the Spanish Youth Ministry.

One of his latest projects, "Auwald," takes place in the alluvial forests of eastern Germany, where he lived for five years. This project adopts an archival and symbolic aesthetic, addressing concepts such as the passage of time and the construction of the home's idea. Gimeno Pol accesses the Auwald progressively, turning his learning process in the forest into a two-way exchange of ideas. Intuitively but systematically, he engages with the natural elements that surround him, finding refuge in the shade of the trees and solace in the glimmers of light filtering through the leaves.

Through his incursions, Gimeno Pol portrays the vestiges of human presence in the forest, collecting glimpses of precarious structures that remind of an invocation of the divine. The totemic presence of the typography on the trunks refers to an ascetic and sometimes off-screen look, which is similar to the relationship of interdependence between the writer and the forest. As Thoreau once wrote: "There's a certain magnetism in the forest, and if you let yourself go subconsciously by this, you'll be on the right path."

Fernando has also gained recognition in the musical realm. He received the Denkzeit grant for his experimental sound piece "Neue Räume" in Leipzig. Additionally, he has performed at renowned clubs such as Institut für Zukunft or Laut, and his productions have been broadcast on radio programs such as Paralelo 3 in Barcelona, Radio 8000 in Munich, and Mutant Radio in Tbilisi.

fernandogimenopol.com | @fernandogimenopol_

INTERVIEW

What is your background, and how did you start as an artist?

I was born in Barcelona, but I grew up in Valencia. My passion for photography and sound began at a very young age, thanks to my mother, who gave me my first analog camera and took me to all kinds of exhibitions and concerts. Her love for the arts and music deeply influenced me, cultivating my interest in these fields to this day.
After finishing high school in Valencia, I had the chance to work as an international model. I ended up in Milan. There, I keenly observed the techniques of the photographers I worked with, gaining invaluable hands-on experience. Before long, I started creating photo books for various modeling agencies.
Years later, I moved to Madrid and studied at EFTI, where I received a classical photographic education. Returning to Valencia, I discovered the Blank Paper photography school, where I had the privilege of studying under Julián Barón. His mentorship profoundly changed my perception of imagery and marked a significant turning point in my career, and I studied with him for several years.
Shortly after, I had my first solo exhibition at “La Llotgeta” Obra Social de La Caixa with the project “Red Light,” which received several reviews, including one in Ivory Press. Since then, I have explored different artistic disciplines and combined them to create contemporary art projects, but my practice is mainly based on photography and sound.

You work with several different media. How do you balance working with such different tools as photography, sound, and video?

For me, everything is interconnected. Just as listening to a piece of sound makes your brain create different images; the same happens with photography or video. For example, in my project, Auwald, besides taking photographs, I spent countless hours recording the sounds of birds. This practice had a very meditative effect on me; you have to stay still and silent so as not to interfere with the recordings or scare the birds away. In the end, it all depends on what you want to convey. In this case, the sound helps create an immersive environment, allowing you to feel as if you are in the forests of eastern Germany, even if you are viewing the project at home.

What inspires your creative process, and how do you usually start a new project?

It all depends on the idea and the tools I have to materialize a project. If we’re talking about photography, I usually don’t plan the project beforehand; I take photos subconsciously, and then the photos themselves suggest the theme. After that, I asked myself what, why, and for what purpose I took those photos.
If we’re talking about sound, it’s important to “clean” your ears before approaching it, as Schafer would say. Sometimes, I have a clear idea and look for the right sounds based on a basic compositional structure, and other times, I don’t. If I always followed the same process, I would end up imitating myself, and that’s something I don’t want to exploit.

Speaking of your work, in your project “Red Light,” you explore themes of loss and disconnection. Can you elaborate on how you chose the images and elements to convey these emotions?

In “Red Light,” I explored themes of loss and disconnection by selecting images and elements that reflect the transformation of relationships in the era of techno-consumerism and social media. The digital world has changed how we fall in love, live, and separate, and I wanted to capture this reality in my work.
To convey these emotions, I chose photographs that represent intimacy and vulnerability in a daily context but marked by technology. Additionally, I integrated collages that included photos of my ex-partner and my family, creating an intimate atmosphere that invites reflection on the female figures and their influence in my life.
Another key element was the inclusion of notes or song lists, crossed out and framed as a mockery of platforms like Spotify. This not only represents shared memories but also the intersection of our digital and analog lives. In the end, turning the museum into my own ‘wall’ to publish these feelings was a way to externalize and process this experience.

Another project, “Auwald,” seems deeply personal and immersive. What drew you to the floodplain forests of eastern Germany, and how did your time living there influence your work?

Entering the floodplain forests of Leipzig or any other protected natural area means connecting with your most primitive self. When you leave the city behind and immerse yourself in those environments, your stress and anxiety hormones decrease, your senses sharpen, and you start to merge with the surroundings.
This also involves dealing with a multitude of sensations that come to you and filter through the thin space that separates the oak leaves; you end up realizing that you have left the city and entered a space with its own set of norms forged over thousands of years.
There is a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku that I recommend to everyone. It helped me a lot to think clearly and create a strong bond with nature.

Using typography on tree trunks in “Auwald” suggests a symbolic dialogue with nature. How do you see therelationship between text and natural elements in this work?

Nature is full of signs and symbols. Every religion echoes nature to tell its stories. Our relationship with forests has been described countless times by different writers, from the medieval period to Schiller or Goethe, who also had a phase as a mineralist in the natural spaces of Harz im Brocken.

Moving to a different medium, in your experimental piece “Neue Räume,” you worked with sound. How does your approach to sound art differ from your visual projects, and what new paths are you exploring in the musical realm?

“Neue Räume” was conceived during the first pandemic. The project consists of live recording and composition of a sound piece using analog synthesizers, effect chains, and various plugins. On the one hand, this practice explores musical composition as a codified cultural manifestation, but on the other hand, it focuses on improvisation as a radical practice. The main motto was to create an intangible space driven by a soundscape created from scratch without any classical rhythmic structure. The sound piece was funded by the Denkzeit grant in Leipzig, Germany. In mid-June this year in Valencia, I won an award for a sound piece. The competition, organized by Sono-Lab at Las Naves, involved creating an audio piece from four sound samples. We had a limited time to create the composition, and in the end, we presented it live and discussed our creative process. On this occasion, I used a contact microphone with a jack output connected to different analog sound processors, as well as a reverb box to include some percussion elements. It was a great experience, and I am truly grateful to everyone involved

Are there any other media or techniques you would like to experiment with in the future? Are you drawn to recent innovations like AI and digital art?

I like the idea of collaborating with other artists to explore different artistic disciplines based on a common theme. Artificial intelligence and digital art interest me and are part of our current technology; they have been with us for a long time. I try to pay them the necessary attention. I don’t have an overly catastrophic attitude towards the topic. Everything that is new interests me to some extent.

Speaking of the future, can you share any upcoming projects or exhibitions that you are particularly excited about?

Currently, I am working on a photography book and an ambient-experimental music release that will come out in physical and digital formats by the end of the year.

And finally, what advice would you give to emerging artists trying to find their voice and audience?

I would recommend any artist not to give up, to keep perfecting their work, and to keep an open mind. Enjoy the creative process and be, as much as possible, authentic.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.