Meet Matej Kolmanko

We were lucky to catch up with Matej Kolmanko recently and have shared our conversation below.

Matej, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I was born in socialism in 1982. Tito was barely gone, but the spirit was still alive. I was brought up in the house with asbestos roof. I was 7 years old and I went to my first year of school and we would address the teachers with the word tovarish (comrade). By the second year, the word was forbidden. Until that point, I thought the word tovarish means teacher. We were aware of the situation. You get a certain resilience from that, I think. Also, I’m a video artist in a country, that doesn’t have a lot of production. That must be resilience or stupidity.
We changed the asbestos roof a couple of years ago.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m play in a hardcore noise band called Hexenbrutal. It’s our 20th anniversary this year so we are working on a new album. I do video art mostly in form of music videos and some short films.
I also did some “normal” or radio friendly music for film and theater.

For the past 10 years I’ve been working on random television shows, reality shows and similar things. I’ve made over 20 seasons of that stuff, mostly editing and I simply can’t do it anymore. It robs you of your soul.
After almost 20 years living in the capitol, I’ve moved back home to the Flatlands which is in the northeast. It’s the most undeveloped part of the country we are mostly known for alcoholism and suicides. It’s a fun little place. Beautiful, though.
The reason I return back home is that my father is suffering from Alzheimer’s.
I’ve been trying to avoid this place for the past 20 years, it’s funny to end up here again. It’s almost impossible to do any commercial work here so I guess that’s a good thing. I’m forced to do more of my own things. I got some soul searching to do.
Most musicians will tell you they have a studio, but I have an atelier. 🙂
I’m involved in some musical side projects.
I’m working on a music video for John Presnell.
I should do a short film.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Since I’m an editor I’m a very patient man. I may not always act like one but, I am. I’m often involved in projects, that take longer, than most people will commit to a relationship. Patience is good. It’s a long-term game.

You don’t have to be a perfectionist. Art is one of the pillars of civilization, like language. We could sing before we could talk and we could paint before we could write. We are all just humble servants.

Be honest about what you do and how you feel about your work. Don’t be ignorant of knowledge. There are enough assholes out there. You don’t have to outsmart art, you just have to be an artist.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I love it, when artists can be themselves. If I hire or collaborate with someone, I want them to do what they would do naturally. It should be about merging of ideas. I try to merge other art with mine, Its always a different process. I like that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.matejkolmanko.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matej.kolmanko
• Other: https://hexenbrutal.bandcamp.com

  http://iztokkoren.si/hexenbrutal/

Image Credits

My photo: Bor Kankaraš

Band photos: Hexenbrutal archive