by Jim Morrall
In a world of kids that seem too cool for skool but that secretly just wanna play incestuous networking games, Henrik Vibskov has an approach that is refreshing. No samples for journalists, a lot of design integrity and a frank (Danish) demeanour make for sparse but telling insights into where he’s coming from (Copenhagen) and how he sees his art (not as art).
In the wake of his 3rd May book launch, Henrik told Jim Morrall a (little) bit about his inspiration, his diverse work and his love of sticks.
JM How was Saturday night (the book launch)? What went down?
HV I went down … I was pretty jet-lagged – just came 1 hour before the show from South America … Peru1.
JM Where do you live and work? Why?
HV In Copenhagen – you can breath and logistics are easy.
JM Was Denmark a part of your creative journey and is it visible in your aesthetic?
HV I would lie if I said no…
JM Are you rooted to places?
HV Probably more than I think … securelifestylebehindtheheavywalls
JM The Danes are known for brutally frank humour and visuals, dare we bring up the whole Mohammad (pbuh) cartoon scandal. Do you see that in yourself?
HV Hmmm the Danes try to be as democratic as possible … everybody has the right to say what he wants … but it is a small country and a few times it goes really wrong…
JM Your press release talks about ‘signature style recognizable across all disciplines’… how could that be defined? Is it possible to be recognizable across disciplines so diverse? I guess that means that the hallmark must go deeper than a literal motif… and so becomes so much more subjective?
HV I guess I should change that … sounds stupid … doesn´t it? … The publishers wrote it…
JM The release also talks about ‘Renaissance man’. Do you take inspiration from the Renaissance approach to life? Any greats in particular?
HV Yeah, as before … I didn´t get that either … publishers…
JM So you’re a drummer! How does that balance with your day job? What do you like about the drums as an instrument?
HV The sticks.
JM What are your five desert island disks?
HV Fish, fruit, water, cigarettes and white wine.
JM How does music and your work relate?
HV I listen to it.
JM What drew you to the concept of the Panopticon2 for SS12?
HV I was doing 4 projects at the same time called Panopticon.
JM Do you see your work as art?
HV No…
JM If you weren’t in fashion or music where would you be?
HV Project manager …
Appendix:
1. HV had been lecturing at the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicada in Lima
2. The Panopticon is a circular architectural model in which all the inmates of an institution might be watched without realising it, and was invented by English social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late eighteenth century.
Henrik Vibskov is available from Gestalten from 3rd May 2012
Edited by: Henrik Vibskov, Alastair Philip Wiper
ISBN: 978-3-89955-435-9
