Hello Infinipi, can you tell us more about the person behind this pseudonym? As well as on the choice of the latter?

Hi Florent, yes of course!

I live in Miami, Florida. French mother and Italian father, I grew up in Asia. I have a degree in computer science and mathematics and I'm the IT director of a company here. Those who know me personally know that I speak several languages.

About my nickname, I invented Infinipi a little by chance, after searching and trying to find several others, but which were already used on Instagram. Most of my pieces revolve around the concept of Pi and infinity.

Pi = 3.14159…. so let's start with Pi...pi is an infinite prime number. This means that the decimal part of pi does not repeat and continues indefinitely. Now, I'm a mathematician and I work with computers, so if I were to create an algorithm that would take the decimal part of pi and convert those numbers into letters, those letters would eventually become words. These words would eventually start to create sentences. This means that in pi you will find every sentence you will say in your life. You will find the name of each parent and the people you will like. You will find all the books you will read. you will find everything forever!

Then, a lot of artists, especially those who do Street Art, write their names everywhere to tell the world that they are there. I simplify all that and I simply put a Pi- like that I have said everything without saying anything! 🤣

I hope you understood something hahahahaha

What was your first contact with urban art? What made you want to get into this?

I don't remember if I started getting interested in street art in Rome or Miami.

I've lived in Miami for over 30 years and the scene has evolved a lot here. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Keith Haring and had painted his characters on a very large scale on my bedroom walls.

After that, I didn't really do much on a personal level other than admiring other people's work at the time.

It wasn't until I noticed the Invaders were disappearing in Miami that I looked further into how to fix them. It was a very long and difficult process to be able to start reactivating parts here. It took more than two years to finally be accepted. The difficulty here in the US is finding the right tiles, so I ended up with a lot of extras that I ordered from stores and they didn't fit and eventually started making my own pieces.

If you had to define your style in 3 words, what would they be?

In my head. Hahaha

I think too much. Generally my work is about the details, but not necessarily the details of the piece itself, but it could be the detail of the color matching the wall the piece is on. It could be colors that remind me of the place or country it is in. There isn't really a standard, but there is always an explanation, which is why I say it's all in my head. 😉

Can you tell us more about your creative process?

It really varies.

Some pieces I make are for gallery exhibitions, which are usually not limited to pi or infinity symbols, but include more elaborate pieces like a life-size flamingo or pieces I design to support a cause in which I believe.

When it comes to complex pieces, I usually use a photo I've taken, put it in Photoshop, and simplify it down to a granular pixel level. Then I find similar colors and put the piece together.

Sometimes I find a place and think about the piece I would like to put there. In this case I usually measure the spot to try to maximize the space as much as possible.

Finally, I create generic pieces in color coordinations that I like, without knowing where they will go. I love the way they look and usually try to find a place that matches the room.

I made several tiles that are actually laser engraved tiles. These look really cool because they allow for a lot of detail, so these are usually created in Illustrator and then engraved.

What are your main sources of inspiration?

I have to say that it depends a lot on my mood and my day to day.

For larger pieces, I try to inspire those who see them, which is why they often include words.

The truth is that very often songs are born from pain, stress, or a certain form of melancholy. They are my therapy, not so much the pieces themselves, but rather the manufacturing process.

What is the ideal spot for you to stick your works?

A place where they can be seen by many people that allows them to think and where they won't be stolen.

Can you tell us about your first mosaic (from the idea to its installation)?

The first one, I don't remember exactly because I had some tiles that I had prepared for a test run of an Invader room.

But the first piece I remember had a red background and a "photo reflective" pi. It didn't even last 24 hours because I used the wrong glue... the piece slipped and came off the wall.

Something that has nothing to do with it is the fact that most of the time I can't get my pieces to stick straight. When I install them, I don't know if the stress comes from not being able to align them correctly, but on several occasions I have had to try to readjust an already installed piece because it was crooked. I even once used my phone to act as a spirit level. 🤔

What cities and countries have you invaded?

Multiple cities in the United States, and multiple cities in multiple states.

In France, I installed pieces in Paris, in Languedoc, and on the Côte d'Azur.

Other than that, Italy, Norway, Portugal, England, Jamaica, Brazil, Thailand, and there must be a few countries that I no longer have in mind and have forgotten…

Do you have any idea how many mosaics you have installed?

Yes and no hahaha I had a map where I marked all the pieces I placed, but it's been over a year and a half since I updated it...

As a result, I believe I have installed around more than 200 pieces. Some much larger than others.

And sometimes I don't put them down, but I leave them on the street for someone to find. Here in Miami we often do #FreeArtFriday.

And I really have no idea of ​​the total number of pieces I put together…

What is your favorite mosaic?

Mine? Hmm, I think this must be my “harlequin” piece made entirely from pieces of glass.

Others ? I love the work of Renée Malaval and many artists who push the concept of mosaic to new frontiers.

Do you have a bad experience to tell us?

Not bad in the negative sense, but at the beginning of the year I was in Italy and I wanted to prepare a collaboration with an Italian Street Art friend @merioone and so I went to buy materials from Leroy Merlin.

I have always assembled all my pieces in the United States so I had no idea what glues should be used in Europe... as a result, I assembled a huge piece where the glue didn't hold very well... so I tried to compensate with Italian flex which was even worse... in the end, I gave up everything, because the part didn't hold up at all in installation conditions.

What are your artistic projects and your desires for this year?

Aside from my normal pieces, I should do a large mural at a public school here.

Other than that, if all goes well at the end of the year, I hope to have pieces in galleries during Art Basel , the big art fair in Miami in December.

And otherwise, apart from mosaic, I continue to do a lot of experiments with resin and paint.

Your wildest dream?

I have to be honest and say that I don't know how to dream crazy.

I have ambitions that, as I sit here thinking about this answer, are slowly materializing into coherence. I won't deny the fact that when I started making mosaics I had a vision of being a super popular artist, but the reality is that I don't really care about popularity, which is all I care about , that's the feeling that art evokes in me and I really enjoy seeing how people react to it.

I know it's not "for everyone" and I know that probably 90% of people wonder why I use mathematical symbols as street art. But again, I'm making this art for myself and if it resonates with someone else, or if it provokes a feeling or a reaction from someone else, then I feel like I have fulfilled my mission.

And finally, which artist would you like me to interview for the next portrait?

Hmm if you refer to mosaic artists, I would say @_Sil_Sil_ in Brazil.

How to follow you (site, Instagram account, Flasher nickname, etc.)?

Instagram: @infinipi

Website: w ww.infinipiart.com

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Many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, keep up the good work!

Photo credit @Infinipi