INTERVIEW Lunis Vogt
PUBLISHED 5 AUG 26
With a background in interaction design and user experience design, Nico Gaupp uses his expertise to create sculptures—artworks that stand on their own, asserting their right to exist while remaining open to human interaction.
// What is your artistic background, and how does it influence the way you approach art?
My artistic background is observation. I’m interested in the way bodies occupy space and interact with their surroundings. In these moments, my attention is almost entirely visual. Drawing has always been my documentary tool, capturing these moments like still frames from a much larger story. But rather than simply recording what already exists, I’m increasingly interested in building things that create a stronger sense of presence.
// What are your favorite materials to work with?
Most of my materials come from the hardware store. I usually start with an idea and then look for whatever materials work best. I enjoy experimenting with existing objects, taking them out of context, reinterpreting them, and connecting them in new ways.
// What does entanglement mean to you?
To me, entanglement means sharing the same fate. It’s the moment when individual actions, organisms, or objects become part of something larger than themselves. From that point on, they begin to shape one another.
// What is your contribution to SEE DJERBA 2026, and how is it connected to this year’s theme, Akros?
The works shifts the focus away from the individual objects and towards the intersections between them. It is not defined by a single element, but by the image that emerges when they meet, overlap, and drift apart. Every movement creates a new composition and never settles into a fixed image. It remains in a continuous state of negotiation.
// What do you hope visitors experience when they encounter your work?
I hope the work catches people before they start looking for an explanation. If it encourages someone to stop, observe, and get lost in the experience for a moment, that’s enough. Everything else can happen naturally.
// What are you most curious about at the moment and how do different topics effect future projects?
Lately, I’ve found myself wanting to spend less time in the hardware store and more time outside. Maybe it’s time to let natural materials play a bigger role. We will see.