Fuyuko Amano - Darkness And Cyber-Punk

1. What was your first association, when you heard about the topic "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness"?

The very first... how certain authoritarian rulers disbelieve in science. But then i put more than just a fleeting thought in it.
And I came to understand it as another way of describing Age of Enlightenment.
:-)  We are still in an Age of Enlightenment, Science is making strides into new realms of knowledge every day.
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2. Reconnaissance is exploration conducted to gain information with observation, surveillance and knowledge. How did you 'explore' the darkness.

My theme for the Expo was "Darkness And Cyber Punk" so I could not explore the darkness per se since it is a stylistic tool integral to cyberpunk, as mentioned in its definition
"...Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech" featuring advanced technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order..."
So.... I saw my way of "exploring" more as a way of showing.
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3 How long did the process of creation last for this exhibition?

How long?  haha I didnt count. I worked on it several hours for several days.
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4. Which were the biggest obstacles?

The biggest obstacle....   The idea. I normally work intuitive, but a project were someone gives me a theme i have to work on contradicts this approach.
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5. What are the most important techniques, that you use for virtual art? How  did you use these to interpret the theme?

Most important...  :-)   I actually work like any other photographer just that my camera is the computer. I see the graphic display on my screen and make a screenshot (photo) of it. But... yes, not simply a screenshot.
You have to mind the picture composition, the lighting... simply everything you have to mind with photography anywhere. And after the photo comes the post-processing. Mostly little corrections of contrast and saturation.
There is even one big advantage. In many virtual surroundings you are free to move the point of view around in far greater ways as in real world.

6. What does it mean for you to create art in virtual worlds? Is it different from creating art in RL?

As I just said, you have more freedom in moving the camera-position, mostly. I also do photography in videogames and there the camera-freedom is often limited.
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7. What are your former experiences with art in virtual worlds? Have you taken part in themed  group collaborative projects? Or is your art usually more singular?

I already described that "themed" work is contradictory to my normal way of doing things. I seldom do this. And my former experiences... :-)  long before i started to make pictures in virtual worlds like Second Life i already made photos in videogames, and before that i made photos. So you can say I only changed the tool.
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8. Which role does virtual art play in your country of origin according to your experiences?

Virtual Art in my country....  haha. Most doesnt even know it exists.
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9. In which way was the creating of art helpful for you in the covid-crisis?

Oh.. sorry in no way. I work in heathcare, so i had much to do.
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10. Which topic would be interesting to you as an artistic challenge in the  future?

oh my, those questions... None and All.