UNDRGRND ARTIST: HANS KRISTO
NOVEMBER 4TH, 2022
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The limits of our language are the limits of our world.
The NFT space is comprised of mostly English-speaking individuals. Those rising to the top often have the advantage of speaking the language. While the space has adapted and done a good job building communities to support non-English speaking artists, more can be done.
Language barriers often lead to miscommunications, lack of nuance, and worse makes the non-native speaker appear uneducated.
For an artist as thoughtful and intellectually gifted as Hans Kristo, this has been one of the biggest challenges, “I have trouble finding the right language to convey my discourse and views linguistically. especially for non-formal language or jokes, I'm afraid that later I will offend others if I use the wrong vocabulary.”
Thankfully, art breaks down this barrier for many. Hans's use of colorful, child-like animations allows him to communicate complex, philosophical and social issues to an audience that does not speak his primary language. Even so, it still feels as if we are missing some of the nuances.
Delving into topics such as industrialization, over-consumption and Freudian psychology, could provide hours of conversation. Still, because of the limitations of our worlds, it feels as if those of us who do not speak the same language are only beginning to scratch the surface of Hans Kristo’s work (or rather just the tip of the iceberg).
“Before I studied art,” Hans says, “I studied industrial engineering first. I understand industrial matters that always deal with productivity, systems and efficiency, which started in the industrial revolution era. This became the beginning of the emergence of the era of modernism. Because of my background, I seem to be conveying self-criticism to what I had previously understood about modern life (globalism and industrialism) which seems to be packaged so luxuriously on the outside.”
When asked why he represents these ideas like a child’s toy he said, “my work uses a lot of metaphors in expressing visual language. I like literature such as poetry and rhymes as a reader, especially the works of Indonesian writers. This city, Medan, gave birth to many writers. Then why children's toys? I see that what we are experiencing is nothing more than a ‘competition arena’, ‘a game’; and just like when we were little, some are playing by the rules and some are not. It’s a systemic circle. Of course, we can blame anyone. But that's not the solution.”
Hans Kristo’s work goes beyond his limitations to expand his world and ours.
