VIRTUOGENIX: How would you introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met before?
MEHRAN DJOJAN: My name is Mehran Djojan and I’m an artist based in Berlin.
VIRTUOGENIX: What are the top 3 adjectives you would use to describe yourself as an artist (and why)?
MEHRAN DJOJAN: Dreamy, playful and curious because this is how I feel when I am shooting.
VIRTUOGENIX: In your opinion, what separates good images from great images?
MEHRAN DJOJAN: A good image is nice to look at. A great image touches me and I won’t forget it.
VIRTUOGENIX: What are the main/most vital components of your work?
MEHRAN DJOJAN: An expressive character and it’s surrounding. Also light is a very important element in my work.
VIRTUOGENIX: Let’s talk about the image with the snake. How did you prepare for the shoot and direct the models?
MEHRAN DJOJAN: This shooting was for a friend of me who’s a fashion designer. She was telling me about her collection and it’s topic „Hysteria“. The shoot was inspired by the case of Bertha Pappenheim. We were shooting in an small apartment with just two extra lights. With this photo I wanted to show two personalities who are inherent in one person: The strong unpredictable one and the sensitive, submissive one. Before the shooting we were telling the models about the story of Bertha Pappenheim, talked about it and explained them their characters. After that I just let them act. Too many directions can be unsettling for the models.
VIRTUOGENIX: Recently, you directed Runa Hansen’s music video. You’ve created many images with her before, but for this project you didn’t direct her from behind the camera. When you create your ages, you are in control of what you capture. Do you find the experience of directing the video a little bit different?
MEHRAN DJOJAN: Yes I do. Directing such a big project costs much more energy. Especially when there are so many people involved. Its not like you only have to direct one person. The house party scene was challenging in particular because of the amount of people who where involved in it. I also felt more pressure than in other projects because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone who was participating in it. But at the end this video is one of my favorite projects I’ve ever done! I learned so much more than from anything else I have done so far!
Above is an excerpt from the VIRTUOGENIX S/S 2019, available in select bookstores and newsstands worldwide and on Amazon.com.
