Valentin Heinrich｜German 3D artists build virtual scenes and animation with the concept of natural openness

theFOUND Virtual Art Center this TALK with Valentin Heinrich, a 3D designer and animation director from Germany.

Valentin Heinrich focuses on 3D design, animation and visual art. In his works, Valentin Heinrich focuses on the beauty and calm of nature and the interaction between human beings and nature. He tries to describe his view of the world and break it to create a new space so that the audience can immerse themselves in it.

In recent years, with the rapid development of multidisciplinary art in Germany, many 3D design studios and artists in Germany have attracted international attention. As a very excellent 3D artist, Valentin Heinrich has a wide range of art types, including 3D art design, scene construction, virtual exhibition hall, virtual architectural space, digital sculpture, etc. At the same time, his works of art are combined with music with different rhythms, which makes his works produce most extraordinary audio-visual experience. Moreover, his works have quiet, open naturalness and complete and unique aesthetic tone, which makes his works express his own language.

Valentin Heinrich's creative inspiration comes from the most common and habitual small things on the city streets, walking and hiking in nature, which give him different dimensions of perception and inspiration to produce a life creative idea. This contrast between the unaffected environment and the art world created by human beings is integrating with the output created by Valentin Heinrich. Valentin Heinrich said that in any case, when he started his project, he was looking for some kind of peace and tranquility.

Valentin Heinrich likes to make animation loops, re-evaluate and modify them again and again, sculpt them again and again until they feel right. Together with music and its' spell 'like repetition, he tried to create a world that reflected this process in some way. One of Valentin Heinrich's goals in the future is to study real-time 3D and create an immersive environment.

“I am concentrating on the beauty and calmness of nature and human interaction with it. I try to depict my view of the world as well as to break it and create new spaces, into which the viewer can feel.”
——Valentin Heinrich

theFOUND & Valentin Heinrich

Q1:

You are from Berlin, Germany. In recent years, there are many international top 3D design studios and artists in Germany. As a 3D artist, when did you get into the field of digital art and start creating?

Back in university I had first insights into working in the field of 3D animation.

I started to work on little 3D sketches in 2017 to develop my technical skills. In September 2019 I moved to Berlin, also to get closer to the pulsating inspiration here. This city is full of so many creative people from all different kinds of fields. That amazed me, still amazes me and I don't think that will ever change.

Q2:

You are involved in a wide range of art types, including 3D design, scene construction, virtual exhibition hall, virtual architectural space, digital sculpture, virtual installation art, etc. How do you define your artistic creation concept?

Starting from a rough idea and ﬁrst sketches, I try to get into a state where I can let my feelings run free and get into the ﬂow. I actually can't describe what happens from there on. But I think, that the pieces I make speak a kind of language of their own and bring things out of me that I couldn't describe with words. In any case, I'm looking for a certain kind of calmness and peace when I approach my projects. I love working on animation loops, re-evaluating them again and again, chiseling them ﬁner and ﬁner until it feels right for the moment. Together with the music and its mantra- like repetition, I try to create a world that also reﬂects this process in a certain way.

Q3:

Your creative style is quiet, open and natural; In most cases, where do you get creative inspiration? Among the many series of works, which project is most meaningful to you?

I'm getting a lot of my inspiration by the most ordinary things standing around in the streets of the city. But also going for walks and hiking trips in nature give me a lot of input. This contrast of untouched surroundings and the artiﬁcial world, humans create are being blended to the output I create.

Looking back, the animations of my red series from 2017 were the most important so far. For me, that was the ﬁrst time to realize the possibilities of 3D and the urge to express myself within that.

Q4:

Do you have any suggestions and experience in applying different technical software?

Dive right into it and keep on going! That is the only advice I can give. Of course, there are always difﬁculties and that can be quite challenging. But it's so worth it to embrace these moments of getting out of the comfort zone and to learn new stuff.

Q5:

In this special period, how do you view the development of the meta universe, the diversity of art, the integration of Interdisciplinary Art and science and technology, and the identity of 3D artists are also changing. What do you think?

To me, it feels like the Metaverse is like a door is opening, but nobody knows what's behind it. And I think that is super interesting! People are just about to learn new ways to create experiences and transport messages in a more intense way than ever before. Let's see, where this is going to!

Q6:

With the acceleration of the current virtual process, what obstacles or new opportunities do you think there are in the environment of virtual digital art and commercial art?

Of course, the possibilities seem to be endless. The main obstacle is for me to keep track of the developments and to ﬁnd myself in those new areas opening up.

Q7:

In the future, do you plan to try to create virtual spaces for larger scenes?

Yes, I totally want to get deeper in those ﬁelds. But I think, it will take some time, getting really into it and being able to create some good results.

Q8:

What new attempts will you have in the future, and what new areas do you want to challenge and create greater value?

One of the goals is to get into real time 3D to create immersive environments. Also, I want to create my own assets from scratch, like textures, models, music etc. To have a more wholesome and self-made approach in the future.