Tonight: Cristopher Cichocki transforms Pehr-ceptions

Name: Cristopher Cichocki

How old are you and where do you live?
Eleventeen at heart. I live in the desert of the Coachella Valley.

How would you describe what you do?
I’m a hybrid mutant with my art. My music, painting, video, photography, performance, and installation works are in constant flux and experimentation.

Any surprises in store for Pehrspace? What can attendees expect?
Every band has selected a movie for me to mash up during their set. That should be a rad synergy. Then there are my video compositions which are made up of my original soundscape audio and hyper-speed video projected live and manipulated on the fly through a DVD turntable and other gadgets.

Cristopher Cichocki creating at the Salton Sea

Who are your biggest influences?
At my core, earthwork artists like: Robert Smithson, Gordon Matta Clark, and Andy Goldsworthy are huge influences with me. As of recent I’d have to say Ryoichi Kurokawa and Kit Webster are doing some of the most innovative things in sound and video.

Has sound always been a big component of your work?
I used to play in a bunch of punk bands, but that was totally separate from my visual art. [You can see one of Cichocki’s punk bands in the clip below. The Youtube description reads: “Before the explosion of Reality TV there was a guerilla performance/punk outfit, called The Sigourney X Tension. Throughout their one year career (1999-2000), the X Tension managed to play venues such as: Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Home Depot, K-Mart, and Blockbuster Video, in addition to non-commercial pet stores, carnivals and arcades.” –SC.]

My solo sound experiments started to gel into my work when I began chopping/ fragmenting my video compositions. I’ve released my video work through the label Table of Contents.

When did you start collaging video?
It’s been about five years since I started working on my video compositions. This website can explain much better: cristophersea.com

Cristopher Cichocki "Root Source II" installation lit by blacklight at The Museum of Image and Sound, Sao Paulo, Brazil

What are some notable projects that you have worked on?
Some of my videos just screened in Malmo, Sweden at the Full Pull Festival. In July I was commissioned to create an installation at the Museum of Image & Sound in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the exhibition ROJO NOVA. Here’s a video that shows my installation process:

What have you been working on recently?
I’ve got a solo project I moniker under SAIVUS. It’s a hypno-soundscape audio-only project. In November I released the full length Overnight through Accidie Records and the Various Breathing Techniques EP through Deathbomb Arc’s awesome digital singles club.

What have you been listening to lately?
KXLU.

Did you have an overall curatorial philosophy for your night at Pehrspace?
I always like to make things eclectic. The bands are diverse, but definitely have some mutual experimental energy. I had each band select a video to play
during their set. I’m really curious to see what video material I’ll be improvising with through the DVD turntable in collaboration on each set.

Cristopher Cichocki "Root Source" installation at The Arts at Context, Indio, CA

It’s almost the end of the year…Did you keep your 2010 New Year’s resolution?
My New Year’s resolution has been the same for the past few years and that is to make art in one way, shape, or form everyday whether it’s for a minute or hours on end. I think I skipped a few days.

What are you most excited about for 2011?
I’ve been invited to the next ROJO NOVA exhibition is in Rio de Janeiro in March. HYPED!!!!!

Don’t miss Cristopher Cichocki tonight: