A.M.Benz，一位来自加拿大渥太华的新锐艺术家，从事综合媒介艺术的创作，作品曾在加拿大、美国等多地展出。
她努力尝试突破多维度表面、肌理和光线的种种界限。运用各种玻璃、纸、线等，以有限的几种色彩，解密光的游戏。

未来人类将与科技相伴相生。使用范围最广的语言将是科技的语言。我们使用科技词汇、术语来描述人类的行为。通过这组作品，我将目光投射到人类与科技的迅速同化，融为一体。

没有科技的加持，我们越来越难以独立运转。我们需要信息流的不断汇入，没有电子设备甚至寸步难行。我们与科技难以割舍，日常生活、行为反应、甚至情绪都受制于对电子设备做出的回应。我们模糊了人与非人之间的界限。然而，我们继续把控制权让渡给科技，允许它寄生在人类生活之中。科技将成为主导，科技语言会愈加普遍。

独立映像：在你的艺术生涯中有哪些重要的节点？

A.M.Benz：坦率地讲，能够成为《非人力可为》的参展艺术家就是我艺术生涯的一个重要时刻。这是我第一次在北美以外的地方参展，特别是在中国，对我很有意义。有一天可以在中国展出自己的作品是我梦寐以求的。我一直学习普通话，多次去过中国，也希望在不远的未来可以有更长的时间呆在中国。除此之外，还有两个重要的节点。第一个，是一位我非常敬重的画廊主看中了我的作品。我知道他非常非常地严厉、挑剔。他点头认可，还让我给他看了更多的作品，让我信心倍增。另一个重要的节点是一次获奖，得到了个人展览的机会。我花了将近一年的时间准备，做了大量艰辛的工作，但这段经历给了我巨大的信心，教会我许多在别处没法学到的东西。

独立映像：面对当前的状况，你认为艺术能为我们的世界、社区或者家庭做些什么？

A.M.Benz：面对当下的疫情，艺术至关重要，可以为我们的世界做很多事。给人们一个喘息的时间，用美将我们从满是压力的生活中带走片刻，在另一个世界中去梦想。艺术可以认同人们的感受，一件在沮丧中创作的作品，对艰难时事做出回应的作品，也可以告诉人们，感到如此的不仅仅只有他们。艺术在同病相怜的人群中建立起连接，有人和你的感受一样，和其他一些人不一样也是正常的。疫情期间的艺术对未来而言同样意义非凡。现在的艺术是对当下特定状况的叙述，是50年或100年后回头观看的历史记录，是对特殊时间框架的真实反映，展现出病毒对人类情感所施加的影响。

独立映像：2021年新的一年，你在艺术创作上有什么新计划吗？

A.M.Benz：2021年我会沿着之前的轨迹继续创作，将东西方的艺术技巧和美学理念融合起来。继续在创作中运用3D元素、综合材料的雕塑和镶嵌技艺。另外，我还想尝试小幅作品。我的作品尺幅通常比较中规中矩，最小的大概是20×20厘米。我还想更小些，不超过7厘米，甚至更小。我经常使用的材料都比较笨重，需要很大的工作空间。如果降低尺幅，使用宽度在0.5到2毫米的材料，作品会更加便于携带，以后我就可以带着它们长途旅行，在国外生活了。

Independent & Image Art Space: What are the critical milestones in your art career?
A.M.Benz: Frankly – being included in the “Beyond Human Power” exhibit is (I hope!) acritical moment in my art career. It is my first time being included inan exhibit outside North America and it being China based means the world tome. China is the #1 country where I had hoped to be included in anexhibit one day. I study Mandarin, have visited several times and wouldlike in the not-to-distant future to be able to spend significant time inChina. Having my art as part of an exhibition by Independent & ImageArt Space means the world to me in terms of having my work shown inChina. Before this though, 2 other critical moments happened forme. First, when I was accepted into a show by a Gallerist that Irespected highly and knew was very very tough and critical. When Ireceived his nod of approval and had him request more pieces to give him, thatgave me a lot of confidence. The other critical moment for me was when Iwas awarded a solo show – it was nearly a year of preparation and hard worklike no other but it gave me amazing confidence and taught me a tremendousamount that I couldn’t have learned otherwise.

Independent & Image Art Space:In front of the current pandemic, how do you thinkart can do for our world, community or family?
A.M.Benz: With the current pandemic, art is critical and can do many things for ourworld. It can give people a respite – a moment of beauty to take themaway from the stressors of life or allow them to dream of another world. It can validate their feelings – a piece of art created in frustration orreaction to the difficult times can show people it isn’t just them feeling theway they feel. It allows a connection of sort, an acknowledgement thereare others feeling same way and it is normal to feel out of sorts. Art isalso important during the pandemic for the future – art created now will have avery specific spin to it, be a historical record to look back upon in 50 or 100years or more, art created during the pandemic will truly be a reflection of avery very specific timeframe and show the emotional impact this virus had onhumanity.

Independent & Image Art Space: In the new year of 2021, do you have any plan foryour art creation?
​A.M.Benz: For 2021 my plans are to continue working on similar trajectories as last year– blending Eastern and Western techniques and aesthetics. Continuing touse 3-D elements and sculpture with mixed media and mosaic techniques. Inaddition – I plan to explore the small. I’ve generally worked in standardsize pieces with perhaps the smallest being 20 x 20 centimeters. I’d liketo work down very small, perhaps a maximum size of 7 centimeters andless. The materials that I work with are often heavy and take up a lotworkspace – by working down very small, using very small pieces 0.5mm-2mm wide,it will allow my work to be more portable and I can take it with me as I hopeto be travelling for long periods of time and living abroad more in the future.