Thierry Kuntzel's 1988 Interview on Video Art Aesthetics and Rejecting Television's Rapid Pace

In a 1988 interview published by artpress, French video artist Thierry Kuntzel articulated his distance from mainstream video culture and television aesthetics. Kuntzel specifically rejected what he described as the "rapidité" (rapidity) characteristic of music videos and television programming. The artist positioned his work in opposition to this dominant aesthetic of speed, suggesting his artistic practice embraced different temporal qualities. The interview appeared in a dossier titled "Dossier qu'est-ce qu'un vidéaste ?" (Dossier: What is a videographer?) that explored the identity and practice of video artists. Kuntzel's contribution emphasized his separation from both the video industry and the fast-paced visual language of commercial media. The interview was published on December 1, 1988, in artpress magazine. Kuntzel's statements reveal his conceptual approach to video as a medium distinct from entertainment formats. The artist's emphasis on temporal experience contrasts sharply with mainstream video production values of his era.