Kami / Keiko – Frederic Van Hoecke

RG Can you describe you work Kami / Keiko?

FVH: What if you could create your own life? Kami / Keiko stands for the monster within and also the child within. En bref, the different entities within. Constructed by simple tubes and straps, yet up to 4 meters high, the work represents a quick do it yourself representation of these confronting poles within each person. By handling and building the work, it proves you can influence your own future and destiny, or inspire you to do so, even if sometimes it remains unstable in the wind. In this way the Kami / Keiko gives you as a spectator a message of hope, can do, and empowerment.  

The Kami / Keiko is modular, so I can deconstruct it in minutes, put it in the car, and build it up in minutes on location. This always tend to become a bit of an event, as people feel to witness a unique moment of surprise.

RG: How do you see your artwork connecting with or contributing to today’s society?

FVH: I believe in today’s society of changes and pressure, we need more and more to reconnect with ourselves, and with eachother. As humans to our own humanity, that is. Certainly in a context which risks to become more and more artificial. And also we need more encouragement and more empowerment. The feeling that everything is still possible, that somehow you can still build yourself and your dreams.

RG: How does it feel for an artist whose work is labour-intensive and build upon a lifetime of research through reading to see the growing popularity of AI?

Artificial Intelligence has its role. More we won’t be able to stop this evolution. So it is what it is. This said, Artificial Intelligence is not… Human. We will always have that advantage. In reality what we see now already is that it creates especially lots and lots of pulp, when used by people that use it less consciously. On the other hand, when used by more conscious people it can help in the creation process. Therefor I consider AI a great… tool. And I do hope society will create some rules to keep it that way, AI to support HI (Human Intelligence), not the other way around.