Miguel Chevalier’s digital works are very much immersive, inviting us into a whimsical, poetic, and digitalized universe. Taking references from the history of art and reformulating them using computer tools, his work serves to investigate and explore themes like nature, artifice, flows, networks, virtual cities, and ornate designs. Their digital character also means his art is in constant metamorphosis, exhibited in museums, art centers, galleries, and public spaces around the world.
“I think bringing digital technology together with art, whether it is painting or photography, is a great development in the field of the arts,” observed Chevalier in an interview with Iconsiam. “I believe digital art can really touch people and allow them to access deep emotions and feelings as well. I think it’s a very interesting art form.”
Chevalier knows what he’s talking about. Born in 1959 in Mexico City, he has focused exclusively on computers as an artistic means of expression since 1978 and is considered a pioneer of virtual and digital art.
“When I was growing up in the early 80s, my friends and I were very interested in Avant-Garde works of the West,” he recalled. “Digital Arts was a new form and I saw that there was so much potential in using the computer as a tool to create art. It was an experiment to create new possibilities in the arts.”
These days, Chevalier’s projects often incorporate generative and interactive virtual reality installations projected on large scale or shown on LED or LCD screens. He also creates sculptures using 3D printers, laser-cut, and holographic imagery. In other words: he isn’t afraid of change and technology, but rather actively seeks it.
“I must say creating digital art is unlike other forms of art, like videos or photography, which are only looked at by viewers but do not elicit tactile interactions,” he notes.
