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We sat down with the multi-talented, ever-astounding, artist Olivié Keck to chat about her practice, recent movements, animated movements and of course, some of her favourite records. Catch a mini-exhibition of Olivié’s works along with a DJ set by Olivié at the May 2019 edition of the First Thursdays Cape Town Official Warm-Up at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street.

Let’s begin at the beginning. How did you get to where you are today?
I did a BFA at Michaelis. From there on out, I basically took it as it came. Most of what I’ve cultivated in my career has been quite organic and I’ve generally just pursued gut feelings about directions in my practise. I guess my recipe is part hard work, part experimentation.

You have an exhibition showing at CIRCA in Johannesburg at the moment. What has it been like putting a show together in the City of Gold? And what’s your general experience of the place in comparison to Cape Town?
Jozi is a pulsing city. My most recent exhibition Drop Dead Gorgeous was perfect for the deluxe energy of The City of Gold. Cape Town is slow and sleepy in comparison and Joburg audiences really know how to come to the party in a big way. I was so grateful for the positive response.

You’ve done some work with VR before. How did that come about? And do you see yourself experimenting with more alternative media in the future, or was it more of a one time thing? Working in VR just kind of happened organically. I loved the medium and wanted to translate my drawing style into an immersive 3D environment. I was fortunate to know the right tech-savy people that could help me bring my aesthetic vision to life. These projects are very much collaborations between myself, Evan Greenwood (programmer) and Jason Sutherland (Sound Artist). I hope to work more in the medium of VR in future. It’s such a unique space for visual exploration to conjure new worlds.

Long Distance Caller Preview from Olivié Keck on Vimeo.

You’ve shown work in the Gin Bar space before, back when it was still Commune.1. What was the last work that you showed there, and what will you be showing on 2 May? Yeah it’s a weird one because this was the first space I had ever had a major solo exhibition (‘False Priest’,2014). At this event I’ll be showing a reminiscent with a mixed bag of O.K. drawings & prints.

What advice would you give to a young artist that you wish someone had given you when you were starting out?
I think sharing ideas and generating discussion is very important for artists. Being an artist is not about being an island. Be generous with your ideas. This will only make your practice more enriched.

Top 5 ‘desert island’ albums?
Beach House Devotion
Youth Lagoon The Year Of Hibernation
The New Pornographers Mass Romantic
Frank Ocean Blonde
Mica Levi Under Her Skin Soundtrack

Where can people find your work and follow you?
Instagram: @oliviekeck
Website: www.oliviekeck.com

Catch a mini-show of Olivié’s work, as well as a DJ set by the artist at The First Thursdays Official Warm Up between 6 – 9 PM, upstairs at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street. The party goes on until late. The First Thursdays Official Warm Up is produced by Thursdays Projects in partnership with Roku Gin.

RSVP HERE