Nikita DiakurMaking an Egg with Hands
Making Eggs with Hands is a trilogy of video works by Nikita Diakur utilising computer simulation software, found footage, and recorded soundscapes to create an aesthetically authentic yet logistically disjointed depiction of a breakfast fry up within the ‘matrix’ of the digital sphere.
In a departure from conventional rendering techniques, Diakur embraces the unrendered world inherent to digital spaces. Rejecting the traditional pursuit of hyper-realism in 3D art, he considers the unrendered perspective equally important and valid. This choice aligns with the evolution of art throughout history, moving from realism to abstraction, with Diakur positioning unrendered digital spaces as a unique aesthetic perspective.
In these simulated videos, detached human hands take centre stage, clamouring around a kitchen, cracking eggs into a pan with varying degrees of success. The surreal nature of the scenes emerge as the simulations introduce variations, such as a hand holding a cigarette, with the outcome dependent on the computer's decisions. Despite the disorienting glitches, the videos retain elements true to life - the opacity and colours of the eggs as they cook mirror the authenticity of real-world culinary experiences.
A distinctive aspect of these works is the use of soundscapes recorded in Diakur’s own kitchen using a field recorder: the eggs cracking, pan sizzling, kitchen equipment clanging.
Diakur views his computer as an artistic collaborator, attributing a personality to it, like a computer stumbling home after a night out, hoping to cook a late-night fry-up. He sets the parameters for the simulations, allowing the computer to contribute to the creative process. Diakur then samples moments from each iteration to construct the final pieces.
The simulated kitchen scenes are based on a photograph sourced from eBay, depicting a kitchen that resonates with Diakur's personal experiences. The authenticity of the kitchen, with its relatable and non-pretentious atmosphere, serves as a canvas for exploring the interplay between the real and the simulated. Diakur's decision to use found footage contributes to the nostalgic and genuine feel of the artworks.
By exposing viewers to the unrendered landscape of the 3D software, Diakur plays with the boundary between reality and the simulated 'matrix'. Challenging traditional perspectives in filmmaking, he breaks the angle through which viewers experience his art, questioning what exists outside our perceptual horizon. Contemplating the classic question, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”, Diakurs works do not adhere to the boundaries of the simulated scene. The kitchen does not exist in a vacuum as a complete entity, and the illusion of this is broken by Diakur’s disinterest in restricting our frame of perception as viewers.
Each Making an Egg with Hands work invites viewers to ponder the intersections of reality, simulation, and the inherent aesthetics of the digital world. Through disjointed visuals, authentic sounds, and a collaborative experiment with the computer, Diakur celebrates the authenticity and unique aesthetic of the simulation.
