Borders – Crossing the boundaries between high and low culture
Where does “low” culture end and “high” art begin? Does this boundary still exist today? At a time when comics are winning prestigious literary awards, video games are being recognized for their artistic contribution, and popular culture is becoming a gallery object, it seems that the traditional division is losing its significance. However, it is still present and often appears in certain discourses.
The invited speakers for the debate are visual creators Gerald Parel and Michal Ivan, who have worked on the globally renowned game League of Legends, as well as for brands like Marvel, DC, and Magic: The Gathering — one from France, where comics are considered a “deviant art,” and the other from Slovakia, where comics and game illustration are still frequently associated with “low” culture. These former colleagues are top-tier pop culture artists, and we will speak with them about what inspires them, their views on contemporary culture, trends, artificial intelligence, but also what they enjoy and find fulfilling. Together, they will share their experiences and how they perceive the merging of genres, disciplines, and cultural traditions.
Gerald Parel
Gerald Parel is a French comic artist and cover artist for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and BOOM! Studios. He designed character concepts for the animated film Renaissance directed by Christian Volckmana and was part of the creative team for the comic series 7 Seconds published by Delcourt. He has worked as a senior lead artist at the studio Sixmorevodka, and later at Riot Games as a principal storytelling director. Currently, he works at HitZone studio as the lead concept and art director.
IG: geraldparel
Michal Ivan
Michal Ivan is a conceptual artist and freelance art director active in the entertainment industry. His clients include Climax Studios, Paizo Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, and Radical Comics. He creates stunning character art in themes of fantasy and sci-fi, as well as illustrations for video games, publications, and animations.
Artstation
IG: michal.ivan
