’89 domande a Daniel Spivakov – Artist

Name? Daniel Spivakov.

How old are you? 28.

What’s your job? I’m a painter.

What did you study? I studied art in Central Saint Martins, but didn’t learn anything.

What do you think about cloning? Would you get cloned if you had the chance? If you were a character of a movie which one would you be? Never thought about it. What’s the point? It’s difficult enough to have one of me, imagine having several. Pure hell. And when it comes to movies, I’m whatever character I’m watching in the moment. Sometimes I’m Van Gogh, other times I’m Achilles. Aint it better to be them?

What is the meaning of life for you as a human being? Definitely. But I forget what it is. Maybe to figure out your relationship with everything you dont understand. 

Your favorite classic movie? 8 1/2 by Fellini. I think the magician represents god there. 

If the films of the past were made again in the present, would these be better or worse in your opinion? Great art is great outside of the time its made.

Do you think that in human perception it is easier to kill some life forms than others, for example, an ant versus an elephant? If yes what do you think might be the motivation? I loooooove killing ants.

What you cannot stand on people? When they dont look at paintings. And when they dont care about the things they’re asking.

What’s the thing that makes lose your patience the most? When they dont look at paintings. And when they dont care about the things they’re asking.

Do you think Hegel was right to put music as art at a higher level, or do you think the figurative arts, especially at an emotional level, are on the same level? I didn’t know art had levels.

Can you give us a definition of art? It’s fiction.

Your favorite style icons? I dont believe in styles. Is Marlyn Monroe by Warhol an icon? I like her, and also I like huge inflatable balloons by Koons, and also Giotto. It’s all the same.

If you could speak in world vision for 15 minutes what would you say? I’d tell them to look at paintings, and also tell them about Jesus. 

The best party you’ve been to? My wife’s birthday a few weeks ago. We ate oysters and had good conversations. I drank beer. 

Do you think exist an objective aesthetic value or you think aesthetic value is just subjective? I dont think I know what aesthetics is. There are things that make you feel like you’re somebody else, and things that dont. I wanna make the things that do.

If you could have a super power what would you choose? To read faster.

When, in your opinion, can you define a person as an artist? A person is an artist when they make art. There’s nothing much to it. Its not like being a shaman or something. 

Do you think that the relationship between art and drugs is just a cliché? A lot of people who do drugs dont do art. A lot of people who do art dont do drugs. And vice versa.

Do you have any political orientation? The more I learn about Hitler the more I dont care for him.

Who is in your opinion the best artist in history? Whoever made that amazing painting in front of me. Right now its me.

Who do you think is the best right now? Me.

And the most overrated? Me.

The most underestimated? Me.

Do you think that believing in God and not believing in God start from the same presumption about something that in itself we have no possibility of knowing, thus reducing even atheism to an act of faith toward the unknown? Yes, that makes sense.

If you could do a crime, or an action in general, without anyone ever knowing about it, what would you do? I’d kill a bunch of ants.

What work would you have wanted to do if you were not in your profession? I’d be an Early Roman King. 

In your opinion is there such a thing as unnatural? In the case in point, if you consider man as part of nature, is everything that emanates from it to be considered natural? If not, why do you not consider man as part of nature? Why do I not consider man as part of nature?

If you could go back in time and kill a few whom would it be? Hitler. But I’m scared I’d fall under the spell of his fucking beautiful eyes. 

Can you tell us the most interesting anecdote concerning your eventual drug experience? C’mon, I’m on a visa here.

The time you did drugs the most what did you take and in what doses? Never done drugs.

What do you think people say about you? The last thing I wanna know. I prefer them spitting in my face. 

Have you ever been in a fight? Yes.The feeling in the bottom of your throat is special.

Has anyone ever offered you sexual favors to work with you? If yes, can you tell us how it went? Who would wanna have sex with me?

Can you tell us when you think a person is cool and when is not? People who have a sense of freedom about them are cool. 

If you had to tell a person to fuck off, who would you choose? And why? I just opened an exhibition called ‘Fuck Off & other notes on mortality’. So I guess to everybody who sees those paintings. Or to death. Go see the exhibition and figure it out for yourself. 

What is the night you spent the most money to have fun? I’m stingy.

What’s your favorite artist? Whoever’s work Im standing in front. In the moment, me.

What’s your favorite show business character? What’s show business?

If you could choose which historical era to live in, which would you choose? Now, always now.

If you had the chance to choose which historical event to live, which one would you choose? Now, always now.

If you could spend a day with an historical figure who would you choose? Why would I want that?

Who are the people that inspired you the most? Damn this interview is long.

If you could choose a famous person for a night, who would it be? Famous people are just a bunch of strangers. 

And for a relationship? Famous people are just a bunch of strangers.

Regarding Lamda’s recent news and the fact that man may have created a sentient being, do you think this might make the idea that another being or entity may have created man more plausible to skeptics? What’s a sentient being? 

What do you think about the fact that man is not able to give an explanation exclusively to what he does not know and does not understand, while conversely, he is (hypothetically and relatively) able to understand everything about which he is knowledgeable and can understand? Do you think this might open the door to the fact that for everything there can be an explanation and a logic, and that what man calls chance (or in any other way that refers to a similar concept) can only be the consequence of his ignorance? I like that I dont understand what I dont understand. Thinking about it makes my toes tickle. 

Turning then to the knowledge that an individual may possess, do you think there may be a definable declination of it that is certain? In the present case, taking physics and mathematics as examples, are dogmatic laws found in them that can be independent of human existence, or are they the result of human interpretation of nature that depends on the observer himself? I think you’re talking to the wrong guy here. I make paintings, what else do you want?

What is the best work you have ever done? Hopefully the next one.

The one you are most proud of? Hopefully the next one.

The one that is most appreciated? Hopefully the next one. 

Can you tell us a work someone else has done that you wish you could do too? Those Baselitz paintings he made with the wheels of his handicap chair. I saw them in Paris during the summer. What a great idea! It inspired me to do the paintings I did for my Fuck Off show. 

Who is your best friend in the show business? What’s show business again? Wouldn’t know anything about it.

Is there anyone you don’t get along with? Myself, mostly.

What is the thing you love the most about Venice? The light is insane. 6-8PM in October, seeing the sun go down from Zattere and forgetting for a second the bullshit of a life we’re all leading. And also a few people I love. 

And one you don’t like? Oh I love just everything (yawn).

And about Italy in general? See above.

Where have you been on vacation when you were young? Venice was actually the first Western European place I came to as a kid. I thought all Europe is like that.

Where are you going on vacation now? Office workers have vocations. I’m not an office worker.

Do you think it would be correct to create a place where a man can live in the state of nature, making him free from a choice of social belonging that is instead taken for granted? I dont know. Im not one of those tree-huggers. I like cities and all its inefficiencies.

Favorite movies? 8 1/2, Pixote, Magnolia. 

What’s the topic you are most expert in? Painting, but Im working on forgetting everything I know. 

Have you ever been in love? Still am.

Where do you live? Berlin.

Which neighbourhood? Charlottenburg.

Where are you from? Ukraine.

Other cities where you’ve been living and how long? Kyiv. Tulsa, Oklahoma. London. Venice. I forget timelines.

Which languages do you speak? Russian, English.  

Which are your favorite places in your city? My studio and my bedroom. And a few bars around the corner.

Favorite songs? Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan, Mr Tamborine Man.

Favorite bands? I like WU LYF. So happy they got back together. 

A famous band you don’t like? Oh I love everyone (yawn).

Favorite books? Tyll by Kehlmann, Brothers Karamazov, In Our Time by Hemingway, Ecclesiastes. 

Favorite authors? Daniel Kehlmann. 

Favorite artworks? I forgot. 

If you can choose 5 celebrities to have party with who they would be? Famous people are just a bunch of strangers. Pick whoever.

Do you feel envy for anyone? If so, for whom? My envy I keep very deep inside. Would never reveal it. I hope its as destructive as Hurricane Katrina. 

The material good you most desire and envy? Everything I dont have.

The quality you would like to have and don’t have? See above. 

There are more and more models who do not respond to the “classic” aesthetic canons, do you think that brands really try to change the social dynamics or do you think they are choices dictated by marketing reasons to exploit the politically correct? Models are sexy.

Have you ever been offered something in exchange for sex? No.

If you had the possibility to remove social networks from the world, would you delete them? No.

And what about globalization? No.

The craziest experience you’ve ever had? These questions.

What do you think about influencers? Love them (yawn).

What’s your favorite historical character? Love all of them (yawn).

Can you define yourself with an adjective? No.

Your favorite actors? Whoever is famous.

Favorite TV series? Whatever is out there.

If you were an animal which one would you like to be? Human.

Have you ever had sex with more than one person?  No.

Approximately how many partners have you had in your life? Private.

Your favorite position for sex? Private.

What time do you usually go to sleep?  Whenever I’m sleepy.

What time do you usually wake up? Whenever I’ve had enough sleep. 

What’s your favorite city in the world? Love all of them.

Do you believe in some religions? No.

The richest person you know? Myself.

Your favorite dish? Whatever is on the table.

Do you have some phobias?  Scared shitless of everything.

Favorite fashion brand? Whatever is expensive.

How important is it for you to be rich from 1 to 10? 10. I dont have much money but I’m fucking rich.

And fame? What about it?

How important are fame and money to impress a partner? Important.

And what about beauty? What about it?

And intelligence? See above.

The smartest person you know? Can’t remember.

Do you consider yourself smart? No.

If you could choose any actors to be in one of your works, who would you choose? I dont make movies.

The most precious material thing you own? Paintings.

What do you usually drink at the bar? One bourbon, one scotch, one beer.

An advice you can give to someone that want to do your job? I’m not smart enough to give advices.

Best party you’ve been to? Already answered.

Do you know someone being a real racist? Everyone I’ve ever known.

Do you think that if people couldn’t post on Instagram about it, they would take part as well to social movements? Don’t know.

What do you think about the existence of royal rulers for birthright? I dont think about the existence of royal rulers for birthright. 

What drugs have you done? Never done a single one.

If so which one is your favorite? There all great.

And which one you use more often? The best one.

Are you in favour of the liberalization of soft drugs? Sure.

And hard drugs? What about them?

What’s your best talent? Not talented.

What are the clothes you can’t stand to see on a man and on a woman? Love all of them.

What’s the item of clothing you spent the most money on? Can’t remember. 

Can you tell us a number from 1 to 89? 1.

Favorite restaurant and bar in the city where you live? The kneipe around the corner. Can’t remember the name. 

And club? I dont do clubs.

Your ideal holiday? I dont do holidays, only vocations.

What would you have done (or wanted to do) if you had not done your job? Didn’t you ask that already?

If you could compose the best band in history, who would be in it? There would be no band.

If you could compose the best band of today, who would be in it? See above. 

If you could choose someone to follow you on Instagram who would you choose? I dont do my own instagram.

Do you think that if there were no hypothetical partners to impress, human beings would pursue success so spasmodically? What’s spasmodically? 

Do you think that in certain environments, especially those in which we find fame and money, there is a lack of certain values? What values?

Does the current concept of democracy make sense to you?  Yes.

What is your position on a hypothetical enlightened dictatorship that could direct the good of people? No opinion.

What do you think about the psychological profile of politicians? Generalizing and keeping in mind the existence of due exceptions, do you think that politicians get to do their job for personal interests, such as ego satisfaction or economic profit, or for an ethical and civic help vocation? I try not to think about politicians.

Do you think politicians and influencers have similar psychological profiles? I dont think about influencers neither.

Do you think that prison, intended as deprivation of freedom of a subject, is a correct solution for an individual who violates the laws of society, or do you think it presupposes an acceptance of participation in the social contract that some individuals may not want? Im not smart enough to know this.

What might be an alternative solution to prison for you? See above.

There are those who argue that the death penalty is a non-penalty, in the sense that at the moment in which the penalty is executed, the subject who should undergo it does not exist anymore because of the penalty itself, consequently involving however an interference in the life of the subjects close to the condemned, who would become at that point the real passive subjects of the case, what do you think about it? See above.

If we consider the death as the end of everything, hypothetically the homicide of a subject that for absurdity doesn’t have, and has never had, social relationships of any kind with anybody, neither economic, neither personal, neither juridical, and if he would be killed without inflicting any suffering and without that he could realize it, such homicide should be punished? Leaving aside the motivations of the agent, as well as the need to protect other subjects of a hypothetical society, in case he would be punished, the murderer would suffer the punishment for an action of which no one suffers any consequence, is it correct for you then to assert that death is something that concerns only the living? What’s about not smart enough difficult to understand?

Do you think that as animals, races also exist for human beings? Am I on acid??

Do you think that racism is a manifestation of some kind of deficiency, an aid to fill gaps in existence for those who approach it? Could this explain the fact that often the profile of the average racist corresponds to individuals with difficult lives who have to struggle with a variety of issues and who use it as an outlet? Im confused…

Do you think that a cultural growth is always good for an individual or do you think that in certain situations it is identified with a loss of intellectual purity? Roses are red.

Do you think that culture in the hands of a stupid person can sometimes represent a problem? Violets are blue.

What do you think about the cancel culture? You broke my heart in two. 

What would you answer to the dilemma of the Mandarin of Chateaubriand then taken up by Balzac and countless other philosophers? In this case, if in order to fulfill any of your desires, you had to end the life of a person who is extremely distant from you and about whom you know nothing, without them suffering and without anyone ever knowing, would you do it? I didn’t know Balzac was a philosopher.

If you could commission the theft of artwork what would you choose? Whatever the thief will choose.

What are your thoughts on the outcome of Banksy’s experiment in which he sold his works on the street for a few dollars? Do you think that generally in the eyes of an observer the value of a work is given by the context in which it is seen? Who’s Banksy?

Do you think it is fair to say that the art market defines what is considered art and what is not? I wouldn’t know anything about art market.

A question that we didn’t ask you but you would have liked to answer? God you’ve asked enough.

 If you could choose a person you know to read this interview, who would it be? (better if someone known) Hopefully nobody.