Dimitri Thouzery: Connecting Music, Artwork, & Emotion

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To Dimitri Thouzery, connecting artwork with emotion is the whole lot, and when he brings digital music into this combine, that’s the place the magic occurs. Having labored with main artists like Drake, Max Cooper, and Mélodie Zhao, he is aware of the way to encapsulate each his feelings and his digital artwork to inform a good looking story. 

Thouzery has at all times had a love for science, and over time, this translated into his distinctive black-and-white spheres. “Once you have a look at the celebs for instance, all people sees the identical factor,” he says, explaining how he needs his artwork to really feel common and doesn’t need to impose a sure kind of feeling on the viewer. 

How did he get to this sense of fashion, and what extra is coming from him?

Portrait of Dimitri Thouzery
Portrait of Dimitri Thouzery

First issues first. As a visible artist, how do you’re employed?

I exploit a program referred to as TouchDesigner. It’s a really versatile software program as a result of you may analyze sounds and information in it, in addition to join numerous sensors and you’ll create visuals. It’s used for lots of multimedia functions. What I like about it, is that there’s a lot risk. After I began working with TouchDesigner years in the past, the whole lot was a thriller, and it was an actual path to discovering my type and attending to know the software program. 

Now I typically check out new methods, to convey chaos into my initiatives. I like to be shocked by outcomes I didn’t count on. In my generative observe, randomness is crucial a part of the method, so typically I purposely make errors to search out out what I like. 

That’s very fascinating! How did you get into this type of artwork?

I’ve at all times been keen on the whole lot that has to do with computer systems, however there was a time once I was extra into graffiti and avenue artwork. I used to be fascinated about how I may convey my avenue artwork into the gallery area, and the one factor I struggled with was how I may convey the liveliness of the streets into these extra refined areas. I began creating installations utilizing sensors and water sprinklers to degrade my artwork inside a gallery. By means of this, I found TouchDesigner and new media artwork.

To me, digital artwork feels extra pure, I might be extra expressive and emotional in my items. I really feel just like the viewers is extra keen on how they really feel whereas in up to date artwork the speech across the artwork piece is way more valued.

A snapshot of Dimitri Thouzery's Visual 558 - 'Walk through IA'
A snapshot of Dimitri Thouzery’s visible 558 – ‘Stroll by way of IA’

What was the method of discovering your type?

It was fairly natural. It’s extra restricted than different applications in the way in which that it’s real-time, so that you at all times should handle the computing sources of your pc.  After I began, I didn’t have an enormous video projector but, in order that’s how I ended up utilizing black and white essentially the most. It’s the way you get essentially the most out of a video projector. Another excuse why I went with black and white, is as a result of digital colours really feel bizarre to me. I don’t know why, I’m simply not an enormous fan of them. 

I’m not somebody who takes a step again and thinks about what I really feel once I’m creating artwork or take into consideration the rationale why I create it, however I can see patterns and I do see wherein path I’m going with my work. I don’t suppose it’s essential to be very specific on this, as a result of I need to give individuals the area to really feel what they need to really feel when taking a look at my artwork. I don’t need to be the one telling them how they should really feel. I attempt to create items that may communicate to anybody, and that may be one more reason why I don’t like working with colours, they’ve cultural which means. Black and white are common. Once you have a look at the celebs for instance, all people sees the identical factor. My work could be very a lot impressed by astronomy and area exploration. 

Not too long ago, you labored on the Genetics LP with TINA TOKIO which got here out on STUDIO. How did that collaboration go?

The best way I begin working often is by turning my emotions concerning the music into artwork, and the very first thing that stood out to me was the highly effective kick. To me, it felt spherical, not sharp, and that’s how I got here up with the idea of a sphere. I went from there, maintaining my typical aesthetics, the black and white. Ultimately, I created two spheres, transferring to the music. The primary sphere was synced with the smaller sporadic parts of the music, the second is extra 3D-shaped and strikes to the kickbass. 

So, placing emotion into your work is essential to you?

I’m not an enormous idea thinker, as a result of I’ve received a background in up to date artwork. What I like about digital artwork and new media artwork, and the way in which I specific myself in it, is extra about exploration. After I work on my initiatives, I’m not fascinated about “I need to construct that sphere, as a result of it makes me really feel that manner, and so on…” I’ll do it extra unconsciously. 

What are you engaged on now?

I at all times have a number of initiatives I’m engaged on on the similar time. At present, I’m engaged on a mission for a band, and one other one I’m engaged on is a collaboration with a number of sound designers. That final mission is about sleep exercise, whereby we create items generated by brainwaves. It’s a mission that’s been happening for a number of years now, and who is aware of when will probably be prepared. That is to say that music is just not the one subject I create artwork for, I additionally prefer to create artwork for science. These are the 2 issues I’m keen on.

I like to work on real-life installations, nevertheless it’s a bit tougher when it comes to logistics. More often than not I’ve to be on-site to set it up, and the viewers is restricted to the individuals who can go on-site. With digital initiatives, like music clips, you may attain a worldwide viewers and work remotely on it.

Each have their benefits, and for certain seeing the viewers enjoying with my artwork piece dwell is a sense I by no means received with digital productions.

A snapshot of Dimitri Thouzery's visual 536 - 'A fully generative pointcloud take on the theme of Piranesi prisons'
A snapshot of Dimitri Thouzery’s visible 536 – ‘A totally generative level cloud takes on the theme of Piranesi prisons’

You create a whole lot of visible artwork for music artists. To you, what’s the relationship between music and artwork?

After I’m working, I at all times have music enjoying. Music has a big effect on my temper and once I create, music can change the path I’m working in. For me, digital music can complement digital artwork particularly, as a result of it’s very sharp. I’ve been engaged on an industrial piece for instance, and making it react to sound makes it extra alive to me. 

Loads of the promotion of music is on the web these days, and for that, individuals want visuals. Generally that’s a disgrace as a result of some DJs are solely good on TikTok, however on the similar time, it makes individuals extra keen about digital artwork. 

You say that persons are utilizing extra visuals to advertise their music, however do you additionally suppose that they’re utilizing extra visible artwork?

I feel there’s some kind of growth in digital artwork happening. One of many elements was the COVID disaster, individuals couldn’t go to museums and galleries areas so that they began to get keen on digital artwork. There’s additionally the NFT motion and generative artwork was a giant a part of that. I really feel like lots of people found digital artwork due to it. Beforehand, when individuals requested me what I did for a dwelling, I needed to present them my work for them to grasp. Now I really feel like persons are extra conscious of digital artwork. music present nearly at all times has a VJ and good visuals. The scene is altering, and since digital artwork can react to music, to me it’s the following era of artwork. 

A snapshot of Dimitri Thouzery's visual 531 - 'A rework of a previous'
A snapshot of Dimitri Thouzery’s visible 531 – ‘A rework of a earlier’

What’s the mission you labored on that felt closest to you?

I like digital music in all its aspects. One of many initiatives I liked engaged on was the one with Max Cooper. He’s one in every of my go-to artists to hearken to once I’m working, his music evokes me rather a lot as a result of it has sure focus factors in it, but additionally stays dynamic. 

What’s the story behind the collaboration between you and Max Cooper?

He was working this problem to remix his observe ‘A Mannequin of Actuality’ for his label Mesh Mesh Mesh. It was fascinating as a result of this got here at a time once I was experimenting with utilizing colours in my artwork for the primary time, and I used to be additionally doing extra cubic artwork. Max Cooper reached out to me a number of months after the problem, telling me he preferred my visible, and if I needed to create some extra for his upcoming EP. The observe he let me create visuals for, I really feel prefer it was one thing totally different than you’d count on from him. It was extra of an industrial techno observe. I felt prefer it got here collectively properly as a result of we each did one thing totally different than we often do. Working with him was nice, he helps visible artists rather a lot. 

Are there different artists whom you need to work with?

Max Cooper was a dream to me. In fact, there are nonetheless a whole lot of artists that I need to work with. I’m at all times open to working with artists, even when they’re doing a style of music I’m not into. It’s a manner for me to find new music and get out of my consolation zone. I like that.

You’re very open-minded going into initiatives then?

Sure, I at all times attempt to be. I bear in mind a number of years in the past when Mélodie Zhao organized the primary version of SPECTRUM, a pageant the place classical music met digital music, and she or he requested me to create visuals for a number of classical items. That was a giant problem to me as a result of classical items are way more advanced, the rhythm can change very quick, and also you don’t have that ‘kick’ you may work with. I’m actually glad I took up that problem and went out of my consolation zone as a result of it was such an fascinating mixture of types.

How did that mission encourage you? What new insights did you get from it?

Once you work with music, you create your visuals and aesthetics as step one, however then you should join the items to the music. When working with digital music, you may code in a manner {that a} kick within the music will end in a visible reacting a sure manner. With classical music, it was extra about going into the move of the music moderately than assigning audio reactivity. You must know the piece properly, and it’s not nearly large drops and large results. It’s far more delicate. 

What recommendation do you could have for individuals who need to get into visible artwork however don’t know the place to begin?

I’ve lots of people on Instagram asking me that very same query. I might say, simply begin, and observe each day. For me, it helps to benefit from the technique of studying. Digital artwork might be very technical and it may be exhausting in the event you set a excessive goal for your self, however in the event you simply take pleasure in experimenting, it actually helps. One other tip is to attempt to not get too influenced by different artists and do your personal factor. Particularly these days with Instagram and all these different visuals we see all day, it’s straightforward to really feel such as you’re not adequate. The algorithms are exhibiting us who has essentially the most views and it’s straightforward to check your self. Comply with your personal ‘why’, why you create artwork, why you could have a sure type. By experimenting and training rather a lot, it is possible for you to to attach with your self and work out what you need to create and share. 

Interview performed in December 2023 by Annelies Rom.


A giant thanks to Dimitri for this very fascinating speak. Don’t neglect to comply with him on socials to search out out extra about his work!

Dimitri Thouzery
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You’ll be able to stream or purchase the Genetics LP Dimitri Thouzery labored on with us right here or on Spotify down beneath.


If you wish to learn extra about visible arts and TouchDesigner, you may learn our earlier interview with BB.dere right here.



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