Portrait of KABK tutors: Diego Grandry and Kévin Bray

13 January 2025

The classroom of the bachelor's Interactive Media Design (IMD) is filled with all kinds of materials and computers. Some students are engaged in – at least seemingly – complex computer programmes, while others are drawing on paper. An outsider wouldn’t be able to guess which study programme this is, and perhaps that’s the essence of IMD. The teaching duo of Diego Grandry (who completed IMD in 2019) and Kévin Bray sits at the back of the room. They’ve just finished teaching the Emerging Realities class – "That name suits us," says Diego – to first- and second-year students. While the IMD students immerse themselves in their work, Diego and Kévin share insights into their own practices and teaching.

After his studies, Diego worked with famous names such as Balenciaga, Goldband and Hermes. But he prefers to work on autonomous art. Kévin studied Graphic Design in Roubaix, France and later also completed a master Design at the Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam. His work can now be seen in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

What are you working on at the moment?
Kévin: My work is part of the exhibition Circulate: Photography Beyond Frames, proposals for the museum collection at the Stedelijk Museum. The installation I created, ProtoVise: Shaping Ids, Swapping Worlds, consists of two sculptures depicting humanoid figures throwing objects at each other. Each time a new object is thrown, both the object and the background change. Things thrown are items like a magnifying glass and a satellite. We have this constant urge to invent new things, and my work questions where that has led us.

Diego: I’ve been working on my piece for the Dutch Design Week, Frères et Soeurs + Beauf et Babare. It’s a series of images, actually inspired by Kévin. In one of the images, two figures kiss each other. This image references the 'Socialist Fraternal Kiss' (a socialist symbol of unity). I use political elements to build a character. This image also references the present, where left-wing parties are forced to cooperate. But I also love shocking people. It’s an ode to discussing the simple things and not all the fluff around them. In politics, we talk far too much about the figures instead of the real problems.

How would you describe your work?
Kévin: My work is a combination of video, graphic design, and sound design, through which I critically question the existence of images and the ways they are used. I aim to make visible the way propaganda works and how it polarizes. I manipulate the form and language of specific media, applying their rules to other mediums. This allows me to provide a new perspective on how stories are told that influence our social and political beliefs.

Diego: I originally focused on 3D animation, but I mainly did that to make money. It wasn’t what I truly wanted. Now, I find myself somewhere on the spectrum of art and design. I’m still learning new techniques. My work explores how "normal" things are relative. The act of reshaping the body appears frequently in my work, and I love combining the digital and the traditional.

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Kévins for the Stedelijk Museum: ‘ProtoVise: Shaping Ids, Swapping Worlds’.
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Diego's work for Dutch Design Week: 'Beauf et Babare'.

On Instagram, both of you sometimes refer to your work as a 'painting'—does that relate to your approach?
Diego: Yes, actually. We try to reclaim that space. To us, it’s a painting. Many people might not see it that way, but that’s exactly the kind of discussion we want to provoke. When is something really a painting, then?

Kévin (laughing): These are fun philosophical debates you can have with us. I don’t feel guilty about calling my work paintings. In the end, the techniques are the same.

Diego: Indeed, the main difference is the material, which makes it cheaper to create a digital work.

Are these kinds of discussions common in your class?
Diego: Yes, Interactive Media Design is about questioning so-called norms. We encourage students to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. We also teach theory, which we often question, engage in political discussions, and dive into history. For example, who developed 'printing' and why?

Kévin: What makes it even more interesting is that we talk about absolutely everything, from all corners of the world. Our students come from all over the globe.

It sounds like everything is possible.
Kévin: It is! Also in terms of the type of work – 3D, 2D, digital, traditional, or a combination. Anything goes.

Diego: Our goal is to make students autonomous creators and to teach them to think with digital programmes.

What is it like for you to teach?
Diego: Explaining things is something I enjoy, and being paid for it is fantastic. When I work for myself, I have a distance from my client; now, it feels like I’m directly helping. I gain immediate satisfaction from it. It’s very grounding.

Kévin: I learn a lot myself because when I’m explaining something, I also look at it again. That can be very refreshing and keeps me sharp. Students also keep you on your toes about certain topics, like the climate. For us, they reflect what society expects of us.

Diego: Exactly, teaching and working with students is a kind of ongoing self-reflection.

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What defines you as a teacher?
Kévin: I think it’s important to give a student the confidence to choose a direction. But I also encourage them to experiment.

Diego: And also to have a connection with the students, so they feel comfortable approaching you with questions.

Kévin: As a teacher, you help the student tell a story through their work. So as a teachter it also helps to be curious and ask a lot of questions.

Diego: Kévin and I often discuss a student’s work together. That provides a lot of insights, and it’s a luxury that we can do that. I think the students benefit a lot from it.

How does that work?
Kévin: We discuss the work and give feedback together, complementing each other. Sometimes one of us is stricter than the other, and we always try to find a balance. I think a student benefits from different perspectives.

Diego: Sometimes I run into former students, and it’s always amazing to see what they’re up to.

Kévin: It always feels great to see that they’ve become professionals. Sometimes they still remember an assignment, which is always funny. I don’t know if I feel proud – that sounds like it’s all because of us – but I like the idea that we’ve contributed in some way.

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Diego's work for Dutch Design Week: 'Freres et soeurs'.
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Kévins' work for the Stedelijk Museum, a sculpture of his installation ‘ProtoVise: Shaping Ids, Swapping Worlds’.