In Conversation with the Parsons Paris Alumni at the Opening of ‘How did we get here?’
Written by Demir Ramazanov, AMT ’24
On Saturday, November 26, 2022, Parsons Paris celebrated the public opening of an alumni group exhibition at Galerie D showcasing the work of eight alumni artists and designers from the Art, Media and Technology (BFA), and Design Technology (MFA) programs. Entitled How did we get here?, the exhibited works span a broad range of mediums and highlight the “diversity of creative practices nurtured within this community.” Collectively the pieces question notions of space and time as “our bodies traverse space liminally […] triggered by nature, cultures and the technologies we influence.” As the exhibition text identifies How did we get here? “synthesizes an otherwise tumultuous relationship between the past, present and future.”
During my visit, I was able to experience the exhibited works (many of which are interactive), and to talk with some of the exhibiting artists about their creative practices and their advice for the current and prospective students studying art and design at Parsons Paris. Read on to see the responses of the exhibiting artists Dasha Ilina, Kris Madden, Amanda Lewis, and Aditi Somani.
Interview with Dasha Ilina, BFA Art, Media and Technology graduate
<Demir> Why did you choose Parsons, and how did it shape/push your creative practice?
<Dasha> I chose Parsons Paris because I was living in the U.S. at the time and studying French. I knew that I wanted to go to an art school, so when I found out about Parsons Paris, knowing that it’s located in France and the programs that they offered interested me, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to move to a country where I have never lived before, better my French, and also pursue an art program.
<Demir> How would you describe your current creative practice and how has it evolved after graduation?
<Dasha> My current creative practice focuses generally on criticizing our relationship with technology, so looking at the way we interact with the devices that we use every day, especially criticizing big tech companies. This is something that I developed during my time at Parsons Paris, mainly because the teachers that I had at the time were all working around these notions. I was inspired by them and began working in a similar direction. After graduating from Parsons and finishing my thesis, I ended up showing it at art installations all over Europe. Then, onwards, my practice naturally followed my thesis work with the same ongoing general theme, though with a bit of a different outlook on technology as I tried to focus on different sub-themes within the subject matter.
<Demir> What would be your advice to current and prospective students?
<Dasha> I would say, do not underestimate the importance of networking. If I am giving advice to someone who wants to be an artist, go to as many openings as possible and try to talk to as many people. Finally, try to figure out your visa as soon as possible for those who want to stay in France as non-EU citizens.
Interview with Kris Madden, MFA Design and Technology
<Demir> Why did you choose Parsons, and how did it shape/push your creative practice?
<Kris> I chose Parsons Paris because I had lived as an au pair in the South of France for a year, and I really enjoyed how much art and culture were integrated into life in France. There is, for example, the Nuit Blanche on the first Saturday of October, which is a big art festival; there is the solstice in June, which is a massive night where music is played all over the streets; there are tons of museums that are cheap or free to get into.
<Demir> How would you describe your current creative practice and how has it evolved after graduation?
<Kris> At the moment, I am a freelance designer and developer, so I spend most of my time doing websites for companies. I guess that kind of shifted a lot of my practice toward coding and web-based things. I also do graphic work, such as generative art through coding. Most of that is because I have to set up my work to work more on a computer as opposed to having the space to work with more physical computational things.
Interview with Amanda Lewis, BFA Art, Media and Technology
<Demir> Why did you choose Parsons, and how did it shape/push your creative practice?
<Amanda> I was initially looking at design schools in the U.S. But I knew that I wanted to live abroad, so I found that I was always more curious about study abroad programs. When I found out that Parsons had a whole campus in Paris, and I could study there full time, I was like let’s go. I think Parsons really showed me new ways of making work. I chose Art, Media, and Technology because I wanted an arts program that wasn’t so traditional and was more fluid in the kinds of mediums you could use. You know, a lot of the other art universities are very like either photography, painting, or you have to kind of limit yourself with one medium, so I liked how Art, Media, and Technology was very open.
<Demir> How would you describe your current creative practice and how has it evolved after graduation?
<Amanda> In my own creative practice, I am looking at the intersection between humans, the technological, and the natural. I started identifying those themes during my thesis, so that kind of launched my creative practice and helped me define what I’m doing now.
<Demir> What would be your advice to current and prospective students?
<Amanda> I would say, listen to yourself. It’s hard to make decisions about where you want to go and what you want to do. Look at your work, look at what you like to do, and just pick out the elements of what you like to do in the future. Be honest with yourself about it, and I think that will help you move forward. There are no wrong choices; there are no wrong jobs; everything has a learning experience, and it’s a learning experience if you allow it to be.
Interview with Aditi Somani, BFA Art, Media, and Technology
<Demir> Could you please briefly introduce yourself: your name and the program you graduated from at Parsons Paris?
<Aditi> I’m Aditi Somani, and I am an Art, Media, and Technology 2022 graduate.
<Demir> Why did you choose Parsons, and how did it shape/push your creative practice?
<Aditi> Parsons, I’ve always wanted to go to [Parsons] since I was younger. It was more for fashion, but then as I grew up and got my interest more into art and fine arts, I chose Parsons Paris because I liked the European location; I liked that AMT was a bit broader, so I could experiment with different mediums. I developed my process so much by having good teachers and connecting with them. Also, since it is a small school, you get more attention, and you can ask for what you need. There is so much to see in Paris and learn from, but most importantly I think I learned research and theory practices and how they can help develop your piece. I think that’s what I am most grateful for. We were introduced to so many texts that broadened my perspective.
<Demir> What would be your advice to current and prospective students?
<Aditi> I don’t have very solid advice, but please follow your heart and don’t be afraid to be a bit cheesy. Do whatever and experiment, and I think this is the time to do it. If you want to stay in Paris, that’s great. But don’t ever think that there aren’t other opportunities outside because that really helped me. For example, when I went to Documenta fifteen in Kassel over the summer and saw all the Asian and African artists presenting, it made me so happy. Just to know that you shouldn’t be afraid to be political, and it’s so good to really work with the community that you are from or that you are talking about rather than just like touching the surface in a way and talking about it from the outside.
