ALTERNATIVE GRAPHIC MOTION AND SOUND DESIGN

Started in 2000 by Frédéric Sofiyana (graphic artist) and Stéphane Lef¬vre (photographer), the SUBAKT Creative Arts Studio creates, develops and delivers original art works blending design, graphics, photography and sound.
SUBAKT's specialist team is made up as follows: Frédéric Sofiyana: co-founder and creative arts manager, Stéphane Lef¬vre: co-founder and photographic director, Marc Guillaumin: arts coordinator, Guillaume Antigny: graphics, web designer, Guillaume Manteau: graphics, web designer, GaÏlle Raux: development and Peggy Tavenne: liaison and communications

SUBAKT operates in three major domains:

- control and orientation of Web, print media and photo / video arts
- research and development for user friendly Web presentations
- scene-by-scene development of multimedia content

SUBAKT has a double role:

Creation, design and development for customers:
SUBAKT creates and produces high value added Web-based arts, photographic prints, and photo / video sequences for demanding and specialized market customers, requiring finely targeted creative support for their products and services in their market segments.
Experimental research and development activities in our 'Laboratory':
SUBAKT?s creative works include our R&D lab working in three medias - Web arts, print media and photo / video. Our house team carries out R&D activities along with customer contract work. We showcase certain R&D project work on our SUBAKT Web site, which can be accessed by clicking on 'Lab'.
Our research and development lab is dedicated to creative ends, allowing our creative talent to express itself freely.

SUBAKT: a place of shared vision, research and development
The SUBAKT Studio was created for a defined purpose - to provide a place where creative talents originating from different domains under different influences could come together. Each researcher therefore brings along their own specific creative talents and know-how, with a personal slant on the digital arts. This way, we ensure original fusion of ideas, blending complementary inputs from co-workers in a creative environment.
This specific working method based on individual effort but seeking complementary fusion has provided SUBAKT Studio with a wealth and diversity of creative concepts, products and original art works. SUBAKT Studio is therefore a multimedia, interdisciplinary platform, a place of shared visions, innovation and interaction where photography, graphics arts, visual and sound design meet and mix to produce a creative whole.

SUBAKT: a major player in the digital arts
SUBAKT is part of the digital arts movements, and aims to project its range of experimental and creative activities, including those of its 'Laboratory' outside its physical confines, and to get better reach and understanding of the 'art works' produced by its studios and lab. This will be by way of increasing participation in exhibitions and new arts events.
This objective is backed by the need felt by all members of our Studio on the one hand to present their works in forums and media other than the SUBAKT Internet site, and on the other hand to come closer to the general public, to share and exchange views and feelings.

g11-What is the cause which get to form SUBAKT?

SUBAKT-The beginning of SUBAKT was the meeting between a graphic designer (Frédéric Sofiyana) and a photographer (Stéphane Lef¬vre). From this point we wanted to set up a team which be able to work on original art works blending design, photography and sound. Outside our contract work for customers,creative activity carried out by us includes a 3-media research and development lab handling Web art, print media, and photo / video.

g11-What is a design/art for you?
I think this question is simple, but the most difficult for all designers/artists.

SUBAKT-We define ourselves as a creation studio in a global sense. It means that we see our work as a wide open field where you could find video, graphics, photos, paintings, drawings... ...

g11-Can you explain about your current activity?

SUBAKT-Right now we still working on Kenzo Web site, we started a new project of Web site about the very famous French singer artist Barbara (she's dead now but she's deeply a part of the French culture). In September we participated in the performance "l'Affiche vivante" organized by a street theatre company. "L'Affiche vivante" is a street event which offered the inhabitants of a quarter of Paris the possibility to be photographed and integrated into 80m2 monumental posters stuck by bill-posters in abseiling on one of the walls of the quarter. SUBAKT produced 13 posters for 10 days.
about offered works.

g11-Do you have some messages about this work?

SUBAKT-In general we let our works talking for us ;-)

g11-What intention does the title "electro sampler" have?

SUBAKT-It's just because it shows samplers of works, and not the whole works. "Electro" is for the web media.

g11-I feel something like an atmosphere of blood from whole works. How do you think about this?

SUBAKT-We're not "blood addicts" at all, but we're very influenced by urban cultures, which is, in a way, violente. Our quest is to conceive and realize powerful and quality works.

g11-I can find some Japanese text "hilagana" in few works.
Are you interested in Japanese text? and What impression do you get from Japan?

SUBAKT-It's true that we like very much Japanese text because of their graphics form. For us they carry a kind of mystic atmosphere.
We are very interested in Japenese design, typography, graphics, and, of course, calligraphy.
You're so precise and rigorous in you're works !!

g11-At SUBAKT's creative activity, What is SUBAKT inspired extremely by?

SUBAKT-We born and grew up in cities. We are directly inspired from our daily life and from what is around us. We are linked to our city in a personal way: we are fascinated by its mysteries hidden behind the walls. Cities are game fields always in movement which excite our creativity. In the mean time, "Mother Earth" is very impressive too but she is unfortunately not a part of our direct daily life.

g11-Finally, Can you explain about the plan for your future?

SUBAKT-Regarding our projects, we're currently preparing a serie of exhibitions. The photographer and each of the 4 graphic designers are developing a personal project which will be presented at the exhibitions. the thematics are as different as the number of projects. In this way videos, Web sites, photographies... will be proposed. The first exhbitions should take place at the beginning of the year 2003.

g11-Do you have any proposal or opinion for graphics11?

SUBAKT-We just have haste to see the works of the other participants!

g11-Thank you for your time.