Who, or what, Pandemonia is cannot easily be defined. Pandemonia is a trend, a mirror of our society but also a brand herself and a muse. Pandemonia appears in fashion week, in advertising and recently even made it to a movie. Is Pandemonia already a pop icon? Surely she is already a reference of pop culture.
KALTBLUT: So, what have you been up to this summer?
Pandemonia: Its been a busy summer, seeing a lot of old friends. I thought Art Basel was great this year. But, the summer was filled with a lot of new experiences for Pandemonia as well. I spent a few days filming for Absolutely Fabulous movie. It was a big hit in the UK, and helped to temporarily lift the mood after the Brexit result. I’ve been very interested in the rise of fashion films, even appearing in a few. The Madrid Fashion Film Festival invited Pandemonia to present some awards, and it also looks like Pandemonia will be headlining the Brussels International Fashion Film Festival. There are a few surprises too, ones that I can’t mention yet, but that will be popping up this Autumn.
KALTBLUT: What’s your personal highlight for the last London Fashion Week?
Pandemonia: I had a wonderful time at a postshow celebration lunch with Julien Macdonald. Julien gave us all flowers afterwards, so romantic.
KALTBLUT: What’s the last thing you’ve bought for yourself?
Pandemonia: My little Lego camera. I decided to take up photography! I thought it would be a great way to document the most interesting people I meet. They are a huge inspiration.
KALTBLUT: Is Pandemonia only going out for fashion week?
Pandemonia: I wish!!… I just came back from Hong Kong. I was a guest at Art Basel, which was incredible, but I also took time to wander the streets and explore. There was an especially visceral response from the people of Hong Kong, and the whole weekend was quite bewitching.
KALTBLUT: Who does your clothes?
Pandemonia: I design and make them at my London studio.
KALTBLUT: Is Pandemonia single?
Pandemonia: I can come in multiples ;)
KALTBLUT: How does Pandemonia, years after years continue to be a critic of the society?
Pandemonia: Pandemonia is ageless, because while the story may change, the symbols always remain
the same.
KALTBLUT: Why did you choose to hide behind a mask on a daily basis?
Pandemonia: What mask?
KALTBLUT: Aren’t you afraid that you might get lost in your character at some points?
Pandemonia: “Reality’s a dream
A game in which I seem
To never find out just what I am” …. Lyrics from the Buzzcocks song I Don’t Mind. I do indeed get hopelessly lost in Pandemonia. I spend much of my days like many artists, in my studio, reading, thinking, drawing, etc. It’s these quiet thoughts that gave birth to Pandemonia. She is a reverie, of sorts, reflecting my aesthetic and commentary. Engaging the world as Pandemonia, as opposed to myself, an anonymous artist, can be downright intoxicating.
KALTBLUT: What is Pandemonia’s ultimate goal?
Pandemonia: Ecstatic commoditization ;)
KALTBLUT: What will be the perfect society like? The one where Pandemonia will have no need to exist?
Pandemonia: A properly functioning democracy.
KALTBLUT: The advertising companies always get one step further in their game: advertise on the cars, advertise on people (tattoo of money), advertise in (almost) all trains all over the world. What’s next?
Pandemonia: One where artists advertise on advertisements. Have you seen my latest advert for Camper? Détournement!
KALTBLUT: What will happened if Pandemonia goes out of fashion ?
Pandemonia: That begs the question… What if Pandemonia was the fashion!
KALTBLUT: What was the public response on your exhibition “ The Marketability of desire” ?
Pandemonia: The most commonly asked question was… “do they come in smaller sizes?”
KALTBLUT: Isn’t it, at the end, a bit sexist to create Pandemonia as a woman, to create in her name this exhibition and to name all the pieces of the show with demeaning and negatives words: Useless, Futile, Pointless, Vain, Empty… ?
Pandemonia: The female is the universal emblem of consumerism used to advertise everything. So it made sense to make her female. The names of the pieces, while blunt, are symbolic of the process in which hopes and aspirations get sublimated and channeled into commodities. Art gets reduced to consumer product, and advertisers want products to become art.
Contact:
Instagram: @pandemonia99
