5 Minutes With Inti Hernandez
In our new feature Five Minutes With… we ask artists to take 5 minutes out of their day to answer some questions through which we get to know them better. What is their go to song while working in the studio? Which single work of art would they choose to live alongside in their home? And what projects are they currently working on?
Today we have 5 Minutes with… Inti Hernandez.
Which single work of art (from ancient to modern) would you choose to live alongside in your home, and why?
“‘Madonna di Loreto’ by Caravaggio: Near the Piazza Navona in Rome we find a small church. In one of its chapels this painting got me to tears. Inside the piece a Virgin Mary is barefoot like her admiring pilgrims. The raw honesty of the artist once more reminds us that within everyday common life the divine finds expression.
What is your go-to song when you’re working in the studio? How does it make you feel when you’re working, and how does it connect to your working process?
“I like to listen to the old Santiago trova sung by Pablo Milanés. The combination of something ancestral reviewed by the beautiful voice of a contemporary Cuban singer-songwriter shelters me in the dark days of the Dutch winter. With this music of human warmth I build a summer that insists on time and keeps my mind clear and my body moving.”
What is your favorite gallery or museum space around the world, and why?
My favorite gallery or museum is the one that makes me feel welcome; that in its rigor takes us into account and helps us live a rich and inspired life.
Top three art or photography books?
Film ‘Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmkers Apoclypse’ (1991) by Eleanor Coppola.
The slide series ‘People Looking at Blood Moffitt’ (1973) by Ana Mendieta.
Painting ‘La Jungla’ (the jungle) (1943) by Wifredo Lam
What projects are you currently working on?
As I carve ‘In pursuit of my freedom of expression’ in the studio I begin to imagine my response to a new invitation to make art for the public space in Amsterdam. The Stadsdeel Zuid, team Kunst & Cultuur ‘is coordinating the commission to design and build a work of art for the public space around the Asscherkwartier in the south of Amsterdam. I am one of the three artists invited to submit a proposal.
ABOUT Inti Hernandez
The work of Inti Hernandez is embedded in the philosophy wherein life is defined as a perpetual flow of energy. In his view the question is no longer, “What can I pick out of this flow of energy to my personal liking and benefit?” but, “What could I contribute to this flow of life that is still missing? Hernandez believes that by finding answers to this question your ideas will always be welcome and will allow you something in return.
Hernandez sees art as a medium to create conversation and dialogue. The very nature of his work embodies collaboration. He explores meanings and triggers reflection through his artistic process and through the interaction with those who engage with his work. The more ideas are adopted as another’s subject, the more energy they gather and the more they connect to something fundamental. When ideas mange to create conversations they become something undeniable.
Architecture and Industrial design are both disciplines very much interconnected with daily life. In his work Hernandez plays with their language and with their multidisciplinary habits. By doing so he ensures a special flavour of common sense in his results. Through this process Hernandez obtains vital impute out of the dialogue with people, their dreams, ideas, necessities, priorities, spontaneity and initiative. He sees art as an established institution, which can be developed into business cases and showcases so that many other interests can participate with it- supporting it and being supported by it and thus gaining a benefit from it.
Inti Hernandez lives and works in between Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Havana (Cuba).
