Raconteur literally went to town – this time in LA – when we hit the Semi-Permanent conference March 22 at The Montalban. The Australian-based conference threw down some heavyweight names in the creative industry for the day-long event, with speakers including MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch and artist Alex Israel, Purple Magazine’s Olivier Zahm, and a panel moderated by Aaron Rose with directors Gia Coppola, M Blash, and Kahlil Joseph. And the delightful Don Shelford and Sezay Altinok of Weiden + Kennedy took the audience on a trip through advertising time, complete with devastating explosions.
It could be we’re slightly biased, but Black Dog Films directors Michael Muller and Floria Sigismondi were two of the most dynamic contributors, who captivated the audience with frank depictions of their art and lives. Michael Muller’s intense presence onstage, combined with his iconic photography living large on the screen behind him, was an absolutely inspirational start to the conference. Combine that with his passion for animals, particularly his work with Great White sharks, and Semi-Permanent came alive.
We also loved the presentation by Sven Schumann of the interview site The Talks, who discussed his background in the publishing world and the decision to make his series strictly online. Schumann, with partner Johannes Bonke, have created a stripped-down, minimalist platform showcasing in-depth, candid interviews with cultural icons across creative genres, from Nick Hornby to Audrey Tautou to Brian DePalma.
It was therefore no surprise that his interview with Floria, the multi-talented director, photographer, and artist, got right down to the heart of things, revealing insights about the effect that her background growing up in an industrial town combined with opera-singing Italian parents has had on her art, her penchant for delving into the dark side, and finding beauty in ordinary objects.
Check out our photos of the day over on our Facebook page. Here’s hoping Semi-Permanent makes it back to LA next year!
