Ben Luke talks to Haroon Mirza about his influences—from writers to composers and musicians, film-makers and, of course, artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work. Mirza, born in London in 1977, creates installations using sound, light, objects and video. These complex and evolving experiences immerse the viewer in varied sensory phenomena while building fascinating connections between their materials, formally and in the meanings they produce. He reflects on his early interest in Salvador Dalí’s sense of space and time; the impact of seeing the exhibition Sensation in 1997 at the Royal Academy in London; the relationship between science and science fiction; and the complex process of translating ideas from his head to a practical language. We gain insight into Mirza’s studio life and daily rituals and he answers the ultimate question: what is art for?

Haroon Mirza, Lisson Gallery, London, 24 February-8 April. You can listen to Haroon’s Modular Opera EP at haroonmirza.bandcamp.com

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