Russian visual artist Denis Semionov (Sa1nt Denis) has settled in France as a result of a family history between the two countries. He combines the exploration of digital art – from NFTs to sports stadiums, from VR films to concerts in the metaverse – with the accompaniment of wildly creative universes. Here’s an overview of a particularly rich portfolio.
Sa1nt Denis, from Russia to France
Denis Semionov – I’m originally from Russia, but since last year I’ve been based in Saint-Etienne, France. It was a project I initiated before the Covid-19 crisis, to get closer to the XR community but also to my family history of art and France (my great-grandfather, an artist, emigrated to Meudon in the 1920s to escape the Communist Revolution). It’s a way of returning to my origins, in a way, by taking a great leap into the unknown in the footsteps of my ancestors.
D. S. – I had a relatively classical art education in Moscow, but quickly moved into communications agencies and projects with digital components in the early 2010s. There I took my first steps as a digital artist, which soon led me to test the Oculus DK1. And it made a big impression on me, even if the rendering wasn’t extraordinary!
Ten years of digital and VR creation
D. S. – My first project was called IMMERSIVE CANVAS. At first, I extended Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream” using VR (Samsung Gear VR), to offer a simple immersion within the work. The work IMMERSIVE CANVAS.MALEVICH (link) was presented at the Electromuseum in 2015. As one of the first to use VR in Russia, this brought me a form of recognition that enabled me to continue working on these formats. Since then, I’ve worked on a wide range of subjects. For example, an educational project with LESSONS OF AUSCHWITZ (link) where we used Tilt brush to recreate the feelings generated by school classes visiting the camps. The idea was to combine their visual creation with music by Peter Theremin, great-grandson of Lev Termen, inventor of the theremin – one of the very first electronic musical instruments! Everything in this creative process is virtual. We were nominated for a series of prestigious international awards, including the Webby, Lovies and Emmys (News & Documentary). I also accompanied WAR: KID’S DRAWINGS IN VR (link) with several artists such as Sutu to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
D. S. – After the beginning of Covid crisis many people from technological industry started exploring the possibilities of VR events. This gave me the opportunity to meet Louis Cacciuttolo from VRROOM, with whom I worked on several projects, including a flamenco show I’ve made in Quill, FLAME, for NewImages (link) and WELCOME TO THE OTHER SIDE for Jean-Michel Jarre (link). I created virtual Zeppelin that passed over the show. I also had the opportunity to create under a helmet in the middle of an 45,000-person stadium for the opening of the WorldSkills Championships in Kazan, Russia (link) in 2019, with Martin Nebelong and Anna Zhilyaeva among others. A unique show where we had to perform live alongside dancers and singers for the opening ceremony.
From VR to AI and back again
D. S. – Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to create in augmented reality, for screen-based experiences, in virtual worlds (VRChat)… I also provided art direction for the media artist Jiabao Li’s film ONCE A GLACIER VR (see our interview). It’s a very moving project that’s close to my heart, and also a form of continuity with my previous work. More recently, I’ve started my own project based on creation aided by artificial intelligence, SOUND AND MACHINES (link). Are we co-creators with AI, or is it simply a tool? And that goes for visuals, or music. It’s a very personal development task, because I can do so many things at home. Varying graphic styles, for example, without calling on outside collaborators.
D. S. – I’m trying to recreate a traditional animation feel with AI, animating almost frame by frame using Stable Diffusion. There’s a risk of an artificial feeling if you don’t intervene as an artist on the whole work. But AI helps in the process of creating each element of your creation. And then putting it in motion… I’ve been featured among the artists on the Artizen Fund platform, which gives artists the opportunity to fund their projects. Through the Artizen’s activities I was featured in Beyond Basel festival in Miami as a parallel event of the Miami Art Basel. Finally, I’m collaborating with the Russian collective AES+F on their second VR experience, ODYSSEY. VILLA CIRCE (link).
D. S. – I’m very interested in the relationship between man and nature, and our place in the world. This is an important theme in my latest projects. From our impact on the planet, to our behaviour as humans… We have to try to understand how we function, interact and consume. The exploratory aspect of new writing helps enormously in this direction.
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