The exhibition
Art objects and graphics created in the process of exploring the Russian culture
13 febrary - 31 march 2021
11:00 - 20:00
Gallery Bogorodskoe
Moscow
Moscow
SECTION
INSTALLATION
Talking about uniqueness
The bright images of empty nest dolls
Initially this part of the project was planned differently. But as we explored the Russian culture it became clear that it was exactly the way it should be.
.
In the Russian culture there have always been bright images representing various members of the society. When we go from the ancient idols and
icons to the nest dolls in Red Square, we see a limited number of 'characters'. A mother, a beautiful girl, a father, a czar, an old woman, a child, a slatternly woman, bandits and no more than a dozen other typical characters. It is amazing how these characters and their number have stayed the same throughout time. Not only do we see these stereotypical images in fairy
tales, folk crafts and art, but we also operate the same limited set of self-perceptional clichés when we look at ourselves. The section of society consists of about two dozen human types. Culture is just a reflection of
how we view the world. We see one another as empty painted nest dolls, or icons stylized according to the canon, or idols, or folk-crafted toys. An epic hero, a sage, Ivan the fool, a bandit, or a holy fool. Everything is easy and simple. Just a silhouette. Just a nametag to identify a character. An ordinary log, if you look at it closely, is more unique and fascinating than an empty painted figurine or an idol.
Initially this part of the project was planned differently. But as we explored the Russian culture it became clear that it was exactly the way it should be.
.
In the Russian culture there have always been bright images representing various members of the society. When we go from the ancient idols and
icons to the nest dolls in Red Square, we see a limited number of 'characters'. A mother, a beautiful girl, a father, a czar, an old woman, a child, a slatternly woman, bandits and no more than a dozen other typical characters. It is amazing how these characters and their number have stayed the same throughout time. Not only do we see these stereotypical images in fairy
tales, folk crafts and art, but we also operate the same limited set of self-perceptional clichés when we look at ourselves. The section of society consists of about two dozen human types. Culture is just a reflection of
how we view the world. We see one another as empty painted nest dolls, or icons stylized according to the canon, or idols, or folk-crafted toys. An epic hero, a sage, Ivan the fool, a bandit, or a holy fool. Everything is easy and simple. Just a silhouette. Just a nametag to identify a character. An ordinary log, if you look at it closely, is more unique and fascinating than an empty painted figurine or an idol.
A tree section
A thin dry tree trunk found not far from Pereslavl-Zalesskiy. Cutting into segments, sanding and dyeing. Stickers with QR-codes lead to the page with corresponding 'characters'.
“
"Originally my idea was to study the historical human types in the Russian culture and to try to create contemporary characters based on them, to look for modern images instead of nest dolls, elders and warriors. I wanted to create bright complicated statuettes. But the more I explored, the more I realized that the images of child and mother have stayed unchanged, the boyars have
transformed into officials, the warriors into military men, and the heroes, the simpletons, the holy fools, the sages have all stayed the same. Yes, some new human types have appeared too, but even if I created modern images of these charaters, the core of the problem would not change. We will still perceive one another as bright stereotyped images and will not see another person's individuality. The best thing I could do with these logs was to leave them as natural as possible so that everyone could see their uniqueness. Any attempt to reshape them would deprive them of their soleness.
transformed into officials, the warriors into military men, and the heroes, the simpletons, the holy fools, the sages have all stayed the same. Yes, some new human types have appeared too, but even if I created modern images of these charaters, the core of the problem would not change. We will still perceive one another as bright stereotyped images and will not see another person's individuality. The best thing I could do with these logs was to leave them as natural as possible so that everyone could see their uniqueness. Any attempt to reshape them would deprive them of their soleness.
Memory
INSTALLATION
Recording the atmosphere of a unique moment
How to record the atmosphere of a moment
We all keep memorable things we brought from trips. A pebble from a beach, a T-shirt with the name of a city where we stayed, a magnet on a fridge. However, there's a problem. A pebble carries no information and means nothing to another person. Magnets and T-shirts were made elsewhere, and the people who made them did not experience the emotions we would like to associate with these things.
We all keep memorable things we brought from trips. A pebble from a beach, a T-shirt with the name of a city where we stayed, a magnet on a fridge. However, there's a problem. A pebble carries no information and means nothing to another person. Magnets and T-shirts were made elsewhere, and the people who made them did not experience the emotions we would like to associate with these things.
A sorbent tube is part of an air filtration device intended for taking samples for further analysis under laboratory conditions.
Photography, videos, art.
They cannot convey the feeling itself, they only preserve a superficial
image that carries nothing in the code digits, screen pixels or pigment molecules.
An image only serves as a reminder of an event that happened in the past.
In the future we are going to learn to preserve not only the reminder and the image but alsoparticles of the very atmosphere of the moment itself.
They cannot convey the feeling itself, they only preserve a superficial
image that carries nothing in the code digits, screen pixels or pigment molecules.
An image only serves as a reminder of an event that happened in the past.
In the future we are going to learn to preserve not only the reminder and the image but alsoparticles of the very atmosphere of the moment itself.
6
unique locations and events in various
corners of Russia
corners of Russia
6
types of air preserved
in sorbent tubes
in sorbent tubes
2020
the year when the author was recording the locations and unique emotions
Russian Abacus
ART OBJECTS
Talking about literality
The skeleton, the counting beads, the bytes and pixels of the Russian code
The central object of the project is the Russian abacus. It is a Russian analog computer and an object of folk craft at the same time. We often argue about our anteriority in this or that cultural
or scientific discovery, sometimes with good reason, sometimes not, but we fail to notice this original Russian invention. The Russian abacus carries the paradox of the Russian culture. We
seek to appropriate foreign achievements but fail to recognize the real heritage. There is nothing more boring than an abacus, but this matter-of-fact accountant's device is the best way to show
what the cultural code consists of. The author will tell and show you the peculiarities of the Russian culture on the abacus.
The central object of the project is the Russian abacus. It is a Russian analog computer and an object of folk craft at the same time. We often argue about our anteriority in this or that cultural
or scientific discovery, sometimes with good reason, sometimes not, but we fail to notice this original Russian invention. The Russian abacus carries the paradox of the Russian culture. We
seek to appropriate foreign achievements but fail to recognize the real heritage. There is nothing more boring than an abacus, but this matter-of-fact accountant's device is the best way to show
what the cultural code consists of. The author will tell and show you the peculiarities of the Russian culture on the abacus.
Object: the Soul
For many centuries many people have been trying to understand what the Russian soul consists of. It is somehow similar to the counting of purchases or the accounting for the remaining goods in a storehouse. Swipe 5 units of hospitality to the left, 3 units of freedom to the right, carry 2 units.
Вернуться
Pattern
GRAPHICS
A synthesis of the past and the future
Eco-friendly approach The bark was harvested from trees felled during the construction of the route. Arkhangelsk region.
The patterns of the present
and the future
A series of graphic experiments dedicated to traditions. What if we looked at the familiar lines in
a different way? Could something familiar look new? How can one combine traditional materials
and craft with the contemporary approach and thinking? The shapes and lines we have been used
to since childhood were borrowed from nature: bright flowers, the lines of tree trunks, climbing
plants, a mark left by a knife or an axe, the brick masonry. But may be we could find something
else in those lines, something as organic but contemporary.
and the future
A series of graphic experiments dedicated to traditions. What if we looked at the familiar lines in
a different way? Could something familiar look new? How can one combine traditional materials
and craft with the contemporary approach and thinking? The shapes and lines we have been used
to since childhood were borrowed from nature: bright flowers, the lines of tree trunks, climbing
plants, a mark left by a knife or an axe, the brick masonry. But may be we could find something
else in those lines, something as organic but contemporary.
