Max Hattler vs. Robert Seidel

14 May 2008 Category: Events & Exhibitions, Film / Animation

Max Hattler vs. Robert Seidel

A still from a music video for Zero 7 ft. José González's clip "Futures," directed by Robert Seidel. Right now on a well-organised Japan tour with his artist friend Max Hattler. Watch the whole video from here.

Filmmakers and media artists Max Hattler from London and Robert Seidel from Jena, Germany, met a year ago. Since then, they did a couple of performances together to mix their distinctive styles of strictly graphics (Max) and organic shapes and complex sculptures (Robert.) In the end, this led them on a mutual Japan tour – to get inspired! Touring on a pretty tight schedule, rock star-style, Max and Robert still found the time for a chat with PingMag.

Written by Chiemi

You’ve been touring Japan together but you usually work individually, right? I remember that Max’s short film “Collision” was shown at many film festivals a couple of years ago and got a lot of press. In this political piece both Islamic patterns and the American flag reflect each other. It was coincidentally made in 2005, the year of the London bombings…

Max: I made this film while at RCA’s in 2005. When working on it, I had a chance to see Simon Robson’s political short film What Berry Says and wanted to make my piece clear to tell that human beings are the same all over the world. My film does not only include Islamic patterns and the American flag but also the British flag to express that there are many more similarities than differences in these flags. It was political timed when I was making it. And it was very scary when the bombs went off in the next morning of our graduation ball because I had finished to make this film just before that…

A still from Max Hattler’s “Collision.”

Flags of countries opposing each other collide and…

…merge. Click to watch the movie.

On the other hand, you made a close-up piece called “Drift” with a completely different style. What would be your usual concept when you making a film?

Max: I’m interested in micro view and usually try to go as close as possible to see a sense of abstraction. In “Drift,” something very familiar takes on a distant view by going so close in. My work style changes depending on a project, but I always try to make a narrative with a bit of humour for people who watch it can have some kind of emotion.

A still from Max Hattler’s “Drift.” Body parts floating in space… Watch the movie from here.

How about you, Robert? First, you studied media art at Bauhaus University in Weimar. Now, you made an amazing piece for Universal Everything’s HD DVD project called Advanced beauty they’ve been working on since we interviewed them two years ago… What was their brief?

Robert: They wanted to have something in HD resolution and gave us complete freedom apart from making the beginning and the end in white. So I wanted to make something very colourful with details. If you see my piece in a normal resolution, it looks like nothing is really happening – but you can see different movement, speed and colours in HD.

A still from Robert Seidel’s “Appearing Disappearance” for the “Advanced Beauty” HD DVD project curated by Universal Everything. Watch the whole video from here.

Enlarged image. See more of it at the Advanced Beauty blog. Can’t wait to see it in HD!

You did quite an interesting installation at Phyletic Museum in Jena as well, haven’t you?

Robert: Yes. I studied biology for a year before I went to Bauhaus. One day I became friends with the director of the museum and started to talk about their 100th anniversary. This museum was founded by a German biologist and artist, Ernst Haeckel, who drew very beautiful paintings of sea animals and plants. He was a big inspiration on my work, so we did a huge installation called “Living Paintings” on the building synced with the lights in the museum for one night.

Most of my work is very organic and complex, sculpture-like, so that you can find something different every time you see.

Robert Seidel’s installation for the Phyletic Museum in Jena, Germany. Look at Haeckel’s drawing and you will understand it. Watch the video from here.

By the way, how did you meet each other?

Max: We met at the exchange forum of Dresden film festival in Croatia about a year ago and got on very well with each other. Then we did a visual performance together at Aurora festival in Norwich, England.

I saw the video of your visual performance…

Max: We mix two kinds of visuals; one is my very graphic piece and another one is Robert’s very organic piece. Our friend, Springmine Disaster made a soundtrack and we create the visuals for it live.

A still from their visual performance “Hattler vs. Seidel.”

So, what made you do a Japan tour?

Max: We were really interested in Japan and were hoping to get a chance to show our work – but ended up doing twenty-three events!

That’s a lot… What’s your impression of Tokyo so far then?

Max: I’m really enjoying it! It’s very easy for me to get used to and I’m definitely coming back!

Robert: I live in a small town, so I’m a bit overwhelmed… Tokyo is like a rock festival, everyday. I’m interested in food, in general, so I’m very inspired by Japanese cuisine. Especially texture and colours are amazing! We went to eat Sushi yesterday and I was surprised by the structure and complexity the very fine elements combined together…

Hmmm… very interesting comment on Sushi. So what are you planning for this afternoon?

Max: We are thinking of visiting Meguro Parasite Museum, hoping to find something for our next project!

I’m sure you will…. Max and Robert, thank you very much for giving us your valuable time today!


Max Hattler (left) and Robert Seidel (right)

Max and Robert performing at Hybrid Salon, Snack Nagako, Super Deluxe on last Friday.

INFO:
Our today’s guests Robert Seidel and Max Hattler’s Japan tour is still going on! They are literally all over the place, so don’t miss it!

5.15. Thu. lecture + Screening @ Osaka Electro-Communication University (for OECU students only)
5.16. Fri. AV Live Performance @ Nagoya K.D Japon
5.17. Sat. Image Forum Festival, Screening + Talk @ Kyoto Goethe Institute
5.18. Sun. AV Live Performance @ Kyoto UrBANGUILD
5.20. Tue. Lecture + Screening @ Kyoto Saga University of Arts (KSUA students only)
5.23. Fri. AV Live Performance @ Kobe Roots
5.24. Sat. Screenings + Talk @ Osaka Planet Plus One
5.25. Sun. AV Live Performance @ Osaka Planet Plus One
5.25. Sun. Visuals Live Performance @ Tokyo Seco Lounge
5.26. Mon. Screening + Talk @ Apple Store Ginza

Also, click here for further info of each event.

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