Into the world of vixels with Vasil Pixel

In our new 34th issue of the interview series we meet an artist and researcher of digital art — Vasil Pixel. His work is a fusion of classic pixel art, 3D printing and modern technology that creates a whole new way of seeing images.

In this interview we talk about the search for a personal style, finding inspiration in everyday life, and how technology can reshape the way we experience art: from ambitious projects to building the art space of your dreams.

What was the turning point in your career as an artist, the moment that defined your distinctive way of working?

The turning point was studying visual art: exploring existing styles and movements, rethinking myself, and realising that combining classic pixel art with 3D printing and digital sculpture could give the viewer an entirely new experience.

How would you describe your artistic style in three words?

What inspires you to make new work — people, places, emotions?

Emotions inspire me, and so does the way people interact with the world around them. I look for depth and associations in ordinary moments, and that helps me make work that captures the complexity of human feelings, relationships and perception. Life’s unpredictability and sheer variety are a particularly important source, along with the wish to show how technology and art can bring people together and stir something in them.

Is putting together an exhibition space a creative act or mostly logistics? How do you strike the balance between making art and managing it?

It is 100% logistics and 100% creative work, which is why you have to give it 200%. Setting up an exhibition space isn’t just logistics — it’s an inseparable part of the art itself. The space can be a work of art in its own right, creating an atmosphere that sharpens how the pieces are experienced. Every element matters — the placement of the works, the lighting, the sound design — and all of it should support the concept of the show and build a deep, immersive experience for visitors.

I find the balance between art and management through detailed planning: it protects creative freedom without letting the logistics slip. Management is the art of organization, where every step, from bringing partners on board to building the schedule, is a continuation of the artistic idea and what makes a project actually happen.

Which emotion or idea matters most to you to get across in your work?

Through my work I convey the idea of a connection between people, technology, art and the universe. My pieces are about how simple elements — pixels, details, moments — add up to the complex, many-sided picture of a life. They carry fantasy and reality at once, showing how arbitrary the border between them really is.

The core idea is to create a new vision of the world through the lens of pixel art and technology.

What would have to change in the cultural life of Perm to draw more people into art?

Working as I do at the intersection of digital and physical art, I would suggest a few changes to Perm’s cultural life that could draw more people into art:

1. Interactive art spaces and festivals.
1.1. Opening multimedia galleries where visitors could interact with digital and physical works of art — shows with augmented reality, 3D projections, vixel art installations.
1.2. Holding phygital art festivals that bring artists, designers and programmers together to invent new ways of experiencing art.

2. Developing the city through art.
2.1. Bringing pixel and digital art into the urban fabric: street art objects, interactive screens that reflect the rhythm of the city through art.
2.2. Creating programs that let artists turn abandoned spaces into art residencies and studios.

3. Support for young artists and digital creators.
3.1. Opening art incubators where emerging artists can work on their projects using new technology (3D printing, NFTs, VR).
3.2. Running educational programs, masterclasses and workshops in digital art to make it accessible and appealing to young people.

4. Bringing art and fashion together.
4.1. Collaborations between artists and designers — pixel art and textiles, for instance — so that art becomes part of everyday life.
4.2. Runway shows where clothes and accessories carry visual art: collections with digital prints and shifting textures.

5. Building international ties.
5.1. A platform for collaborations with artists and art spaces abroad, to bring new cultural projects to Perm.
5.2. International biennials and digital art residencies where artists can share experience and inspire each other.

Initiatives like these would help make Perm a centre of digital and interactive art, drawing more people into art and shaping a new generation of creators.

Which of your art projects do you consider the boldest, and why?

The boldest and most ambitious projects are still ahead of me. Right now it’s a new way of making pictures: printing relief works in plastic on a 3D printer, in my five-colour pixel style.

How does it feel to watch people react to your work? Is there a story that particularly moved you?

I put a lot of meaning into my vixel works, and watching people react brings up a whole range of emotions:

• Pride and satisfaction.
  When people stop in front of a work, study the pixels closely and notice the details and symbols I’ve built in, I feel the effort was worth it. Every attentive look, every honest comment strengthens my belief in the power of art to inspire.
• Surprise and inspiration.
  When viewers read a work differently from the way I intended, I’m glad the art can spark associations unique to each person. It reminds me that art is a dialogue in which the viewer brings their own story and emotions. When someone sees an image in a pixel composition that I never planned, it enriches the work with new meaning.
• Responsibility and motivation.
  When people start discussing my work, asking about the technology or about what inspires me, I feel a responsibility to keep making pieces that touch people and awaken interest in deeper themes. It pushes me to look for new approaches, to experiment and to share my ideas even more boldly.
• The joy of bringing people together.
  When viewers talk about the work with each other and share what they feel, I see art becoming a bridge between people. It makes me happy that art can create new connections and inspire people to engage.
• Curiosity and the urge to grow.
  When reactions differ from what I expected, or the work raises questions, I feel inspired to analyze and to experiment with new subjects. Moments like these make me think about how to give my work even more layers and meaning. If someone says my art feels too “technological” and “cold”, I take it as a challenge — to find the balance between technique and warmth.

If you were given an unlimited budget to build the art space of your dreams, what would it look like?

My dream art space is an interactive phygital museum where digital art meets physical objects, creating a “World of Vixels” you can literally step into.

Architecture and atmosphere:

• A futuristic building with a facade of LED screens where vixel images shift and change.
• Hybrid spaces where art doesn’t just hang on the walls but becomes part of the environment — projections on the floor and ceiling, 3D sculptures, AR/VR you can interact with.
• Transformation zones where visitors can change the look of the space with sensors and movement.

Main areas:

• A vixel art gallery — rooms of three-dimensional 3D-printed pictures and digital installations you can “walk into” and explore.
• An interaction workshop — a space where visitors can make their own pixel works using VR, 3D printers and interactive panels.
• The “Gansy Fo Laps” hall — a huge immersive room of four-legged geese as holograms and animated sculptures.
• “Red Stele. Love” — an installation that visualises feelings and relationships through moving pixel imagery.
• The digital projection “The World Around Us” — a wall that turns visitors’ photos and videos into pixel pictures in real time.

New technology:

• An NFT zone where visitors can buy digital versions of the works and upload them into metaverses.
• An AI that reads visitors’ emotions and adapts the visual environment to them.
• Holographic guides who talk about vixel art and lead interactive tours.

An atmosphere of creativity and conversation:

• The “Vixel Bar” cafe, where dishes are served in pixel shapes and colours that echo my style.
• A lecture hall and workshop area where artists, designers and programmers team up on new art experiments.
• A coworking space for digital artists, equipped with the most up-to-date tools for 3D art projects.

This isn’t just a museum but a “living, changing platform” where the boundaries between art, technology and the viewer dissolve and people are inspired to create.

What advice would you give emerging artists who are looking for their style and their niche?