Yanis Proshkinas

Yanis Proshkinas

Multidisciplinary artist, researching technologies in a process of digital acceleration. Currently doing MA degree in Vilnius Academy of Arts, thesis: “Invisible workforce in training artificial intelligence”. In 2021 graduated from the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Moscow. Participant in the main program of “The Wrong Biennale”. Since 2022 based in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The way that I wanted to start this was just: “How are you?”

Hi! I'd like to say something original, but I'm sure I can't. So I'm gonna start with the classic "I'm fine"!

How did you become an artist? And why did you become one?

I think I can say that I'm an enthusiastic person. If I'm sincerely interested in something, I actively try to immerse myself in it and see if it's mine or not. In 2014 I visited the Tate Modern in London and I remembered an exhibit, a mirror with a patina. I stood and looked at it for a long time, slightly sideways, and tried to understand "why is the mirror hanging here, why is it art?". At some point I was struck by the aggressive reaction of those who were not immersed in art. And I had an intention to oppose it, I wanted to explore art through love, not through aggression. Then I started reading books about art and listening to lectures on my own, and eventually I got involved to the point where I decided to become an artist myself. Nothing foreshadowed it, art has power, it drew me in.

What events or experiences have shaped your creative work?

For me, touching art is living death. It is important to clarify that this is not mourning, as in the black color in On Kawara's works, for example. Rather, in general, in any art I see something more than the art itself. More than life, somewhere beyond it, in eternity, in death. There are artworks that can change your view of the world completely. It’s a deep and life-changing feeling. It reminds me how people who have encountered death often could change their view of life. This connection to death, but indirect, is very important to me.

Are there any particular topics or subjects that you like to explore in your work?

I'm interested in the aesthetic dimension of technology. Technology can be understood in a broad sense, and as something classically “sublime”, as the Futurists were inspired by progress and industrialization. Or in more particular cases, as technology as a method or tool. For example, kanban boards, used to increase the productivity of industries, acquire such aesthetic power that they go far beyond their original field. And then we can find them everywhere, like lovers can use them to make strategy sessions for their future life or to solve disputes. I'm interested in this strange peculiarity. When a simple tool fascinates you and draws you in.

How do you keep pushing the boundaries, experimenting with your work?

I notice the other side of myself that I can set no boundaries for myself. Which isn't quite right, but I think it will pass with time. If something is minimally interesting to me, I take it up and try to do something: coding, laser engraving, video, photo, 3D, etc. Anything that is somehow related to digital and techno, I try to apply. But at some point I will need to concentrate harder, take a narrower focus. I'm just waiting for some technology to fascinate me that I'll forget about the others. 

Tell me whose opinion of your art is important to you?

In general, I'm not interested in opinions, I'm interested in reactions. I work iteratively, first an idea, then a sketch of the project. Then I show it to anyone who wants to see it - my wife, friends, artists, etc. And then I look at the reaction. If they don't understand and don't get it, I redo something or give myself time to finalize the idea. Opinions seem pretty useless to me. It's also about the ability to give feedback. Often even professionals don't know how to give it, they start telling you what you need to redo in your work. It doesn't work, it's no longer your artwork or your idea. Instead, I like it when someone could expand the context, or just talk about the concepts around your work. Sometimes just having a conversation around a project gives you so much more than a direct opinion.

What do you think is the most interesting topic being discussed today in the field of contemporary art? Are there any local or international artistic phenomena, that catch your attention right now?

For artists, it's artistic research. That is, a certain approach to making art through exploring. Definitely in self-presentation and curatorial texts everyone uses the words: explore, investigate etc. But speaking to artists, for many it's just a stylistic feature and involvement in the industry. Whereas in academia, when you get a degree in art, that's what you do - artistic research. Personally, I can say that it was only when I started getting a master's degree in art that I started to understand what it is and why artistic research exists. It's a liberating moment when you start to see art as a way of transferring knowledge and a way of exploring the world. I see it as a battle against the ultra-rational knowledge of the world, where any digit is taken as truth. And also artistic research helps to create something tending to be new. So much has been created in art before us that it takes a lot of work to say something minimally new and important. And it is impossible to do in 1 day. That's why there are long programs, masters, PhD in art, etc. Sometimes creating a PhD in art is seen as a long 4 year residency. In a way I agree with that. To get a deeper understanding of artistic research I advise you to read the book "Vytautas Michelkevičius - Mapping Artistic Research. Towards Diagrammatic Knowing."

What is a fun fact about you?

I often try to test myself to see if my desire to make art is truly sincere and not forced upon me. I can say to myself all day long, "I'm not an artist". And I think that if I quit, it is definitely not my desire. But as you can see, I continue.

What is your advice for aspiring artists who are just starting out? 

For me, the issue with "beginning" is related to the issue of "strategy". What to do and where to run? These questions never leave the artist. But it is necessary to minimally understand how the field of art functions, what actors act, according to what principles, etc. My advice would be to understand the relationships that make up the art field today. You can start with Arthur Danto's "What art is". You can read about Pierre Bourdieu's concept of "professional fields". You can read about the project-oriented society from Boltanski and Chiapello in "The New Spirit of Capitalism". Also, I think it is important to understand how art differs from science in terms of knowledge production and persuasion (not much). You can read "We Have Never Been Modern" by Bruno Latour. And, of course, find a good art school and go and study. It will save a lot of time and give an entry point into the art field.

Do you have any future projects that you are excited to share with the public at this time?

The main project I'm working on right now is my master's thesis. I'm researching what forces and tools are used to train artificial intelligence. This is related to content theft and I can say that eventually I plan to steal an entire museum in the same way, through open data.

Thank you very much for joining us today in this interesting conversation

Thank you for inviting me <3