INTERVIEW with Zyneck
Carmela Loiacono talks with Zyneck who takes part in the International Art Exhibition STORIES OF IDENTITY – The 2nd Edition in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected works: “Blue Indonesienne” and “Tenues de Soirée” presented during the exhibition STORIES OF IDENTITY – The 2nd Edition in Matera. 
Zyneck – Nothing in my childhood predestined me for art. But my
curiosity, my encounters and friends, and works of art (exhibitions, books, museums) led me to it naturally.
Since then, I have lived art every day.
The dreamlike, symbolic, unexpected world is my field of creation, expression, and freedom.
Professionally and personally, I happily immerse myself in it.
I hold a doctorate in art and communication.
After experimenting with different techniques, I have been developing Sand Art, works made from sand, for more than twenty years.
I am a member of the French Association of Sand Artists.
Discovering an Indonesian beach, I see a round pebble emerge… it inspires me to quickly sketch a character. I take photos, change the colors on the computer… it becomes “Indonesian Blue Head” (printed on acrylic, 60X80). Similarly, while walking along the shores of the Bassin d’Arcachon, I see streaks formed in the sand by the receding water. Two women in “evening dress” impose themselves (60X80 aluminum plate).
So I look for elements in nature that, in a given context, invite me to create, to make the invisible visible.
It is a meditative act and one of self-discovery.
I exhibit this ephemeral dialogue with nature by immortalizing it on Dibond aluminum or acrylic.
Some may see it as a poetic and political work of respect for Nature, which is already Art in itself.

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Zyneck – My usual creative process for Sand Art draws on my own experiences—we only ever talk about ourselves—and my curiosity as a researcher. I contextualize the subject, explore it from different angles, and push it to its limits until it becomes as stripped down and readable as possible (videos illustrate the process for other themed exhibitions; see Zyneck YouTube).
Sand Art is an original work with a distinct style. It belongs to the realm of contemporary art and is intended to be free and independent.
When it comes to influence, I have no preconceptions. All art forms are reflections of different eras and cultures and embody tradition and/or modernity.
My influences have evolved over time, with my travels.
I would mention Vlaminck, colorist, fauvist, Georges Mathieu, expressive gesture, Chagall, dreamlike and poetic, Cocteau, refined drawings, along with Picasso, Dali, Matisse…
Primitive arts for sculptors, and engraved and mysterious signs on stones, petroglyphs, Indian kolams painted on the ground with colored flour or sand, Asian calligraphy for mastery of line…

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Zyneck – Art has always evolved in terms of its techniques, themes, and periods. There are fashions, “classics,” precursors, schools, dissidents, and quarrels.
Artists, through their sensitivity and character, innovate and disrupt… this is art reborn.
Today, we are in the midst of a digital revolution. AI is invading all sectors. Robotized, hybrid works are emerging. Works of art and museums are digitized, they can be seen all over the world, and this can spark interest.
Art also circulates on social media, algorithms target and guide us…let’s keep our free will.
Is there really an exchange or just information between the people involved?
Do specialists have a say?
Isn’t there a trivialization of creation?
Nothing can replace the emotion felt when viewing an authentic work of art.
We see singers emerge, become popular, and disappear just as quickly. We live in a consumerist and disposable society, reflecting the times we live in.
Faced with a constant flood of information, too much information kills information and leads to
addiction… Let’s keep a level head and stay on topic.
There are positives and negatives everywhere.
Art, painting in particular, has been criticized, dismissed as old-fashioned, rejected, but it has resisted and new painters are appearing, relying on social media for visibility. This must already be being studied?
Similarly, in the media, the print press has been
turned upside down but is adapting, digitizing, archiving, and holding its own.
Its professionals and specialists know how to take the necessary step back, write, and cover topics in depth.
There is room for the immediacy demanded by those in a hurry and the analysis, expertise, and even philosophy of professionals.
We are using different and complementary tools and approaches to question and open up the debate.
It is up to each of us to continually articulate tradition and modernity, openness, plurality, and diversity…

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Zyneck – The artist creates for himself, but also to be seen, known, and recognized. He expresses his resilience symbolically. He presents his creations from exhibition to exhibition, from project to project, and progresses. So, I love meeting and sharing with artists and
foreign collaborators, stepping outside my comfort zone, exploring and discovering the unexpected. I love being surprised by a new place, a different theme, artists of all kinds.
After my exhibitions in Matera and Oria, where I exhibited my sand art plates, I began reworking my future pieces without knowing where it would take me.
As part of my diverse activities, in December I will once again be participating in an exhibition with Latin American and French artists evoking the resistant Pachamama.
In April, I will organize the annual exhibition of my studio and guests…
a studio that this year will be even more open to outside artists
and diversity.
My new solo exhibitions are taking shape after wonderful encounters, such as this year in Italy and yesterday in South Korea, Spain, and Greece. It is an investment and a commitment.
Resolutely optimistic and open, other projects will come along. My contacts are multiplying and can open doors to new exchanges and projects.

Carmela Loiacono – We had the pleasure to meet in person in Matera, during the opening of the exhibition, did you enjoy cooperating with me? Did you like to stay in Matera?
Zyneck – Meeting Carmela was a wonderful experience. We talked at length before the exhibition in Matera, in an unusual venue where contemporary art has a different place than in galleries.
Organizing exhibitions is a heavy burden for a young woman. You have to innovate, question yourself, and doubt yourself in order to gradually gain experience in the field in a complex and difficult art world.
I strongly encourage Carmela. It’s a daily job to increase her visibility, create encounters, make contacts with the local press and tourist information, be present on the internet, be active on social media, etc. I’m speaking from my experience as an amateur. I am ready to exhibit again with Carmela in her new projects.
At one point, the question arose of exhibiting in Bari. Why not? It is a large city with other means of communication and surely various unusual venues to explore for future exhibitions.
Why not? To be continued!