Life Inc. photographer Boris Ljugov
Boris Ljugov, 24 years old, graduated a year ago at the Royal Academy of Art (Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten) of Ghent. He is defined and praised as “house photographer” of the multinational advertising agency “Life Incorporated”. His huge photographs have been displayed in the streets of Ghent and Brussels. Now they are to be admired for two months in the city of Leuven as part of Metropolitan Move. His successful life as an artist was unexpected. “Two years ago I didn’t believe in my future as an artist.”
Here is an interview to Incorporated artist MCMXVII.
> You started your career as a young photographer at Life Inc. In what way can you satisfy your personal ambitions working with Life Inc.?
Life Inc. discovered me in the summer of 2006. I say “discovered me” because I was not looking for them. I was just wandering about and like many other artists of my generation I felt that there was no room for free artistic expression in this world dominated by “corporate power”. I faced the future a bit pessimistically because I didn’t want to bend to the laws of the advertising industry. Life Inc. convinced me that business doesn’t necessarily breaks the artistic and they promised me freedom as an Incorporated Artist. Life Inc. and its ideology have my images at their disposal and in exchange they become incredibly visible.
> Where is the barrier between the commercial aspect inherent in advertising and the artistic freedom that you pursue?
The barrier is very vague, which is characteristic of the actual post-modern society. Being able to contribute to a new vision propagated by Life Inc. is a form of freedom in itself. I think that the idea of complete autonomy has been outran. You can find freedom in being aware of your capacities and in being able to make use of them instead of concentrating too much on your shortcomings. I do realise that I am not Boris Ljugov to the managers of Life Inc., but Incorporated Artist MCMXVII. Life Inc. indexes its artists using numbers instead of their names. But I don’t experience that as an attack against my artistic personality and freedom. I feel free as long as I can make pictures, even if Life Inc. uses them for commercial advertising. Some people call that opportunism but I call it a contemporary form of freedom.
> Can you identify yourself with the controversial standpoints that Life Inc. often takes by launching certain advertising campaigns? In 2007, for example, it launched the first Belgian campaign to promote prostitution among students to obtain financial autonomy.
That particular campaign was criticized indeed. And because the images were made by me, I was looked at with suspicion too. On the other hand there were many positive reactions too. Many people saw it as a very progressive campaign. And that is why I feel attracted to a company like Life Inc. But that doesn’t mean I always agree with my employer’s political views. Life Inc. is a market player like many others of which profit making is the only objective. What makes Life Inc. unique in the world of business is its sincerity. The coca-cola company, for example, may portray the world as one big party, but that is not true. And sooner or later that will turn against them. At least Life Inc. says loud and clearly that we are living in a capitalist society. If my life as an artist can only be guaranteed within the structures of the business world, I prefer to work for a company that is credible. Like I said before : I make images because of their artistic values. As long as Life Inc. gives me that opportunity I don’t really question the application of my work. It’s like Benetton’s controversial photographer Oliviero Toscani puts it : “When an architect creates a building for coca-cola he does not sell refreshments. He’ll only try to build it as well as possible. As photographer I do just the same. I don’t sell clothes, I just try to make a very good photograph.” Another example is Leni Riefenstall. Can she be hold responsible for the atrocities committed by the Nazis because she tried to be a good film director? We’re talking about two excellent artists who didn’t let their artistic freedom be curtailed.
> How do your images –used in advertising campaigns- relate to the world of visual arts?
The separation of different worlds is outdated. There is no such thing as a world of arts and a world of commerce acting separately. Art generates extremely high profits and art that doesn’t do that yet is financed by trading capital. Of course there are remainders a paternal policy of subsidies, but that phenomenon is disappearing. So in the future arts and Corporate Business will completely fuse together. In that sense I find it very interesting that Life Inc. often works within art projects. Life Inc. takes advantage of these opportunities to recruit new artists. When on “Young Artists” Life Inc. incited young artists to incorporate as “Incorporated Artist”, there were several applications . Metropolitan Move and the exhibition « Autours et au-delá BROODHAERS Onomwonden « take place in Leuven simultaneously. That is no utter coincidence of course. It may be an ideal opportunity for the participating artists to get to know each other? In fact, Life Inc. offers what many artists only achieve by making great efforts : a public, recognition and financial security. Would anybody say no to that?
INFORMATION. Advertising photographs made by Boris Ljugov for Life Inc. can be admired on life-inc.be. Personal work can be found on borisljugov.blogspot.com. For information about the recruitment of young artists by Life Inc. you can send an E-mail to info@life-inc.be
|
