English Version | Brave new world

Over the last decade, he has pioneered the use of 3D to create parallel, ethereal worlds where fantasy and dream coexist harmoniously. His unique aesthetic - dreamlike, futuristic, a mix of realism and surrealism - a reflection of a sophisticated, avant-garde mind, is a gateway to his infinite creativity. Ezequiel Pini, also known as Six N. Five, is a multifaceted (and award-winning) Argentinian artist and designer based in Barcelona, whose work incorporates different media to explore imaginary spaces, moving stories and physical objects. His virtual landscapes combine the simple light and clean lines we recognize in natural landscapes and transport us to a contemplative universe that provides an overwhelming sense of tranquility and balance.

Can you tell us about your journey into the world of multidisciplinary art and design? It's been quite a curious and personal journey, I would say. Since I was young, I've always had a lot of interest in drawing and creating my own stories. But in high school, I discovered a fascination for the world of computers and everything related to them. After finishing high school in 2003, I found that Graphic Design was what interested me the most at that time, as it combined both interests. While studying at night, I needed to work during the day, so I explored different areas. I worked in video game programming for a while, animation, and also web design. Until I started feeling curious about 3D. I was very excited because with this tool, I felt like I had finally found the freedom to create these worlds or represent my ideas in different media, in a very faithful way with unique results that looked real, even if they weren't. From there, the digital era evolved, and processes became more digitized over time. So nowadays, you can start with 3D on any concept, exploring my new curiosities, and manifesting them in images, short films, but also in the construction of objects and physical spaces. 

Your work incorporates different media to explore imaginary spaces, moving stories, and where realism and surrealism merge. Do you remember the first moment you used 3D in the creation of these imaginary worlds? I could say it was in university. I studied at the University of Buenos Aires, which is public and free. There, the focus was never on the technical aspects or the tools, but rather on the concept, the idea. They never taught us to use any software there. Each one solved the assignments or their ideas with the tools they knew. Compared to now, in 2007-2008, there was almost no online information to learn new software, so it was a matter of dedicating many hours. I became very self-taught, and I always tried to solve the university assignments with 3D, while practicing and evolving my technique. 

What advantages do you see in embracing a multidisciplinary approach? I consider myself a very curious person, for better or for worse. I find it very difficult to spend long periods of time doing the same thing. I immediately feel like I have to change something, to find new challenges. That's why over these past 10 years, my style and technique have changed a lot, and likewise, the leap towards the physical, creating art installations, and also creating objects or spaces. I think each of these projects is different, and the main advantage I find is that it keeps me entertained, with a spirit of learning always on. 

In your opinion, what new possibilities does AI offer to artists in terms of envisioning and realizing their ideas? I believe it's a new 100% digital tool that has come to automate many processes, and therefore, technical work purely for visualization will be greatly impacted by this tool. If we take it towards creativity or the arts, there will also be new generations of AI artists, and being a tool, there will always be talents using it extraordinarily. But nowadays, I feel it's very difficult to control. Before computers, ideas were represented, for example, with a brush and oil paint, or also with a sculptor's spatula and materials. Then came the camera, which has also been used for purely visualization purposes, and other talents artistically. With the emergence of the computer, new generations of artists and creatives have emerged. In my case, I became passionate about CGI, and our practice could be said to be very traditional and artisanal within the digital world. Because you have to create and model shapes, materials, also make camera and photography decisions, lighting, and the entire technical process to process an image, not to mention a video. Although render times and the process itself are still very laborious and take several weeks of work, it's something I enjoy because I feel like there is great control over the result, over what I want to represent. I think AI has automated many processes and is very good for quickly visualizing things, and of course, there will be new generations of creatives who will use this tool extraordinarily, but we will really see its full potential in a few years. 

What inspires you to create your unique, imaginary worlds? What inspires me most about creating my own imaginary worlds is that I can faithfully create them as a representation of my imagination. But above all, in the digital field, I don't find any limitations to creation. So any idea or curiosity, in any kind of form or material, can be represented, whether in images or in moving stories. And why not, later move on to another reality, with the corresponding adaptation. This keeps me always motivated to keep creating. 

There’s a strong component of nature in your work. Were you always a "nature freak”? Haha, definitely not. But it's something curious that I've been analyzing a lot lately. I was born in a suburb of Argentina, and all my life I've grown up and lived in apartments. When I was 29, I was able to move in with my partner, and I discovered an attraction to plants, so I learned their names, their care, and I could say I had my mini-collection, something I had never noticed in previous years. And over time, this intensified, and now 10 years later, both in the studio and in my apartment, I have my mini jungles. At the same time, time has also made me understand that the connection with nature is something I need, and it really inspires me, relaxes me, and generates very good feelings for both my physical and mental health. Whether it's a walk, a running session, or a bike ride, or simply renting a weekend house, it recharges my batteries and ideas. Coincidentally, the next step is to move to the outskirts of the city, and already have my first experience of living in a house with its own park.

Originally published in The Mother Nature Issue, from May 2024. Full stories and credits are in the printed version.