Holger Dielenberg, Founder & Director of Space Tank Studio (Australia)

Holger describes himself as an artist, designer and a builder but recently he added to the list, Entrepreneur with this launch of Space Tank Studio in a 1000 sqm warehouse. His dream coming true with this acquisition, Space Tank Studio provides creative professionals with studio space and wood/metal workshop including 3D printing, 3D scanning and 2D CNC cutting plus an artist in residence program.

Some key takeaways from this interview:

• When opportunity strikes, take it… even if it means a dramatic pay cut!
• Never let go of the bigger picture of what you are trying to accomplish – especially when seeking funding.
• Be patient with your dreams, they may not realize themselves immediately and you may end-up going off in many tangents but never forget them and keep pursuing them.

You can check out this awesome space by visiting SpaceTankStudio.com.au.

Looking back on your career as an artist, designer and creator – what is some advice you’d give yourself back when you were in University studying to become what you are now? How well did those courses prepare you for the real world creatively?

Be yourself and be honest to yourself is the key message I received from many generous people through years of traveling and that message is what lead me to consequently turn down a few University offers to study computer science.

Back in the eighties, that was The Big Thing. For as long as I can remember, my passion to create beautiful things has always been my main drive and that is what I listened to. I remember once when I was ten years old standing in the Louvre in Paris. I had lost my parents because I got stuck gazing up at these gigantic and amazing oil paintings from the renaissance. Those paintings burnt themselves into my soul.

You have to locate what drives you from the inside and so consequently, I think to be successful in your chosen course of study depends on the reasons why you choose the course in the first place.

Looking back now, I feel the ‘be yourself and be honest’ advice has served me well and I would pass it along without hesitation. I studied at the Victorian College of the Arts. The course and teachers at the VCA certainly conveyed a true desire to pursue contemporary art. They had a structure in place to support and teach us and we were often left to our own devices to solve creative problems.

I feel this set us up well to find inspiration ourselves and push beyond our comfort zones.

What did you do before you started Space Tank Studio?

After I graduated in painting from the VCA, I practiced art and exhibited for some years. Melbourne in the nineties was an exciting place to be as an artist. Lots of studio warehouses, parties, you know – insert adjectives – Still though, money doesn’t grow on trees so I had a small business doing house painting and renovations. Earned quite well but, it wasn’t art.

It was all about multimedia back then. Kennett was supporting it and I got chosen for a fully paid course to learn digital imaging. This lead me to a small 3D animation company in Richmond who were developing an Imax film concept. I approached them to sit at one of their idle computers in the evenings after work. It took me six months to study my way through a one meter high pile of Soft Image manuals before the boss tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted a junior animation position. Without a blink of an eye I went from an easy one thousand five hundred dollars a week with my renovating business back to three hundred and twenty a week as a small time animator.

But I was happy because I was doing something creative for a job. I spent the next fifteen years working in the film and television business in Melbourne, Sydney and Europe. I returned to Melbourne in 2007 with my German partner with one clear vision that had been simmering on the back burner for all that time. Start my own Studio.

We had kids and renovated a house in Melbourne so life got in the way a bit. I filled time with sporadic film work in Melbourne and Sydney as well as traditional boat building which I picked up as a kid with my father. Thanks to him, building houses and boats has always been my plan B to earn money. I must have caught the bug because I love it as much as I love art.

Since being back in Melbourne, we kept our eyes peeled for the right warehouse to build our studio and in the middle of last year we found it in North Coburg.

Tell me about Space Tank Studio… what kind of equipment do you have, what purpose does it fill in the market (and yourself).

My dream to develop a studio was born out of the frustration I felt at not having access to space or machinery to get my work done. There is nothing more annoying than not being able to scratch that itch. Drives me mad.

Being of German heritage, I of course had grand visions of a Mercedes like dream factory where white clad technicians with Dr. Strange gloves assist you in building your….. but in reality my aim is to simply provide the creative professional with traditional workshop facilities and prototyping services all under one roof.

The equipment we will provide directly to studio tenants and members ranges from traditional industrial wood and metal working machinery to industrial sewing machines, 3D printers, 2D CNC laser cutters and plastic vacuum formers. \

The basic idea is to cut through the usual bureaucracy, politics and expense of supplying such an equipment service and make it as easy and cheap as possible for the artist, designer or inventor to come and get their project built.

How challenging was it to find financial contributors to help make your dream of having a studio come true? What are some advice you can share for others in that same situation?

During my seven years in Europe managing and supervising 3D character animation for clients gave me a good insight into the world of budgeting. Financing any large endeavour is always a challenge. Like everything else though, if you break it down into parts that are manageable and just keep following your overall plan to achieve your long term goal, then putting that one foot in front of the other becomes a bearable and risk acceptable experience.

At the end of the day it is about clarity of vision and accountability. Money gravitates toward passion and realism.

What is it like going from working in the creative field to now owning your own studio and helping the next generation with their creative outlets?

Awesome!

I have quite a few friends into boat building – it’s not something that particularly fascinates me but the act of sailing very much does. What is it about boat building that seems to captivate so many creative people?

When you build a boat, everything is a challenge, nothing is straight, there are compound curves everywhere and your tolerances have to be half a millimeter. The complex kinds of joinery is extraordinary, you have to accomplish so many different skill sets. You rise to that challenge or leave and yes that attracts some interesting people.

My dad was a boat builder and as my brother and I grew up, he always dragged us along to help him build some sixteen yachts. By the age of eight he was entrusting me to make cardboard patterns to fit the inside of hulls for bulkheads and then cut those bulkheads out of marine ply with a jig saw.

We were welding metal, pushing timber through rip saws and laminating deck beams by the time we were ten. I guess what I am getting at is that this kind of work runs in the blood.

My brother and I never resented the fact that every weekend and holiday, before and after school, we were working by our fathers side. Must be an old European thing. We loved it, ate it up. To some extent, pretty much every shipwright has a similar story. I have the privilege of knowing a few who live that dream. They’re totally nuts of course.

7- Anything else you’d like to add?

Absolutely, if you have an art or design project that needs life then come and visit us at Space Tank Studio at SpaceTankStudio.com.au.