Clauss continues, “My latest exhibition was held at the Espace Paul Ricard in Paris where I was presenting “Les Portes” (The Doors) during the Festival Nemo. It was a great experience but I admit that working with kids and people and developing more a social project is definitely the way I will direct my future art-work”.

Les Portes © Nicolas Clauss

Most of Nicolas Clauss’ projects are online. He conceived them keeping in mind they will first appear on the Net. If some of them are subsequently projected in an installation it’s because most of the time the curator sees his work on the Internet and wishes to exhibit it.

Nicolas tells me with animation and a sparkle in his eye about his last project: “It’s call “L’Ardoise” (Slate) – it’s about interactivity in a random way”. Following an artist resident in the south of France, he worked there with three-hundred kids, aged 11-15. They created about 200 drawings “that I used in the online project” explains Nicolas. These drawings are made only with china ink using only one or two colours. “I wanted a sentence to capture the essence of the whole art project and I wanted to accentuate the kids responses: “Ici et maintenant, enfer ou paradis” (here and now, Heaven or Hell). ‘Slate’ in French can also mean the ‘debts’ that we leave to our children.

The final exhibition was held in Beziers in April 2006 and in the installation the visitors could here the sayings of the kids on our world, their world.

L’Ardoise © Quentin Groosman

Finally, I asked Nicolas Clauss what are his influences. Obviously, as he’s far from being a typical artist, he explained that music mostly is a great source of inspiration. Very contemporary musicians such as Michel Portal, Yves Robert, Steve Reisch as well as traditional music from Korea and Japan, he experienced on his travels.

He refreshes his eyes regularly, with painters and artists like Tapies, Ruschenberg, Boltanski, Dubuffet. Digital artists such as Du Zhenju, Oculart.com and Hooger Brogge also have his full attention and respect.

I spent more than two hours with Nicolas Clauss, in his lovely house in the countryside less than an hour from Paris. It was great to get to know him better in his home town and the environment where he belongs. He is definitely an artist to keep a digital eye on!