Meet Vidisha Jain: Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vidisha Jain and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vidisha, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
I would urge creatives not to “network” – but make friends! Art and music are personal, and so should your collaborators be. When you’re at a concert, exhibit, a course, or any event, is a rare and special moment to be in a room with others who connect with the same music/art that you do. So don’t waste the moment by flashing business cards everywhere or asking someone what they do. I always strongly discourage business cards because if you meet someone you want to stay in touch with, make the effort to type out your phone number, or exchange social media handles, like you would do in any other social situation. Naturally, a lot of art is collaborative, so there’s nothing wrong with reaching out to someone who you aspire to work with. But what you do after that initial contact is important. Faking or forcing a friendship in the hopes of income and/or clout by association is not only unkind, but directly in conflict with what art and creativity is about – which is community, connection, and expression.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started out in London, where I started and ran Concentus Music. I guess this was often presented as a “company” I founded, but in reality, it was my playground to interact with all the music I love. The blog has 600+ posts on it, because the website is truly like my personal diary, documenting every gig that I’ve been to since I was 17, which is when I first launched the website. I also curated monthly gig/club nights, published print magazines, produced videos, and had a radio show where I’d just be chatting to musicians. It started just as a way to get something on the CV so I could apply for internships, but out of nowhere, the platform gained a lot of momentum, and I just rolled with it. It catapulted me into the industry, and ended up being my full time thing for 5 years. I got press passes to festivals from SXSW in Austin, Texas to Reading & Leeds Festival, and invitations to concerts every single night across the UK. It was through those press opportunities I discovered photography. I ultimately didn’t want to be a journalist or a club booker in the long term, because as much as I enjoyed giving artists a leg up when I could, I actually wanted to be a part of making their creative vision come to life. So when I moved to LA last year, I left Concentus behind, and used the momentum to pursue visual art for music full time.

When I came here to LA, I just started doing literally whatever the hell I wanted. It was the most liberating thing, and now as a result I am the most healthy, physically and mentally, but also the most creative that I have ever been. I am finally making art for the sake of making art.

My most recent and innovative project is algoRHYTHM – a play on ‘algorithm,’ as this is algorithmic art. It’s an interactive audio visualization piece I coded from scratch. Viewers can play out any song, and see a digital light show react to the volume and frequencies of the song. The beauty of its reactive nature is that no two songs in existence can result in the same visual output. There was a physical street installation version of this utilizing hand sensors to trigger the interactivity recently displayed in NYC – (shoutout Cyd, Angie, Jacob, Chey, and others from Gallatin for that!!). It lets the physical space and the digital space enhance each other, working in tandem, instead of competing. My hope algoRHYTHM will let people physically engage with music and lights once more after not being able to go to concerts or clubs for a year.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
– Order a pitcher of the passion smash margarita and Farmer’s Market Nachos from Blue Plate Taco, and have it on Santa Monica Beach. – The Cheesecake Factory, all day every day.
– The Grove – just sitting by the fountain is my happy place.
– A trip to DTLA, going to the Grand Central Market, walk to The Broad to see the Infinity Mirrored Room exhibit, and end with a rooftop dinner at Ace Hotel or Perch!
– The Malibu Wine Safari. I love animals, I love wine, it’s too perfect.
– I love swimming, so find a hotel pool and go there for sure.
– Drive down Pacific Coast Highway to then hike on Los Leones. Or Runyon Canyon in Hollywood is my other usual hiking spot!
– Drive in movie at Santa Monica Airport.
– If and when possible, definitely go to concerts every single night! The Troubadour is a must see venue.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Blair Simmons – she taught me how to code, and is the reason I am even pursuing visual art! I spent most of my free time in the pandemic learning from her. I’m always moved by the amount of time she so generously gave me, and I use the knowledge she shared every single day now. Before I met her, I wanted to work in the traditional business side of music marketing / advertising, but she opened my eyes to a whole new type of creativity that I didn’t even know existed, and that’s what I have ultimately pivoted in to now.

I have to give a shoutout to Sid Brunskill too, he was working with me from the start to the end of Concentus Music, and was integral in helping me achieve my vision with the photo and video content.

On a more personal level, Angus Scott Miller will always be a hero to me. I met him 6 years ago, when his role was supporting the youth members of this organization in London where I used to take courses as a teenager. All I knew is that I wanted music to be a part of my life. Before I had even done anything to prove myself, he believed in me, and admittedly I was confused on what basis, but it really gave me the courage to pursue a creative career! Back in London, I was actually spoilt silly with the support I had from industry mentors. Whenever I would go to a concert, I’d run in to countless people who were always so kind, never judgmental, and always wished for me to do well. The UK creative community is something special.

Website: https://vidishadigital.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vidisha.digital/

Other: https://www.algorhythm-night.club/ – My latest project! https://www.concentusmusic.com/ – The music platform I created and ran 2015 – 2020

Image Credits
‘Concentus Music Event’ – Sid Brunskill Concert photos of Billie Eilish and Blossoms taken by me, Vidisha Jain