2023
ANDREY IVANOV (RUS)
On the Path of Power
A person is born into this world pure, unaware of either evil or good. In a child's world, everything is unified and interconnected—encountering something for the first time, they comprehend and interact with it based on their nature, responding and learning through empirical experience. In Andrey Ivanov's work "On Non-Duality," we encounter a perspective and vision that can hardly be called childish, but which, through effort and the act of acceptance by an adult, make the world unified, but not as in childhood—when a child still does not know something. This unity arises precisely from knowledge and from accepting different aspects of life, different experiences that an adult, educated person encounters. The world of non-duality, which the author speaks of, is a world where the category of evaluation is absent. Or more precisely—it is present only as one of many other phenomena existing in the world. Even dealing with complex experiences that people usually strive to reject, through internal effort emanating from love, Ivanov accepts it, aiming and healing the space of separation, resolving conflict—both internal and external, creating a space of wholeness and unity.The non-duality of Ivanov's view is not just an attempt to avoid dividing the world into black and white, into bad and good, but it is the ability of a person to accept life, people in this world, in this endless stream of chaos—without judgment and bias. The author draws this strength from an utterly honest dialogue with himself and the ability to be present in the moment. As if diving into a state of deep meditation, achieving a state of peace within the external world engulfed in suffering, the artist conducts this healing space of non-judgment through his gaze and vision, capturing it with a camera.
Being enchanted by the phenomenon of life itself, in search of an inner "total landscape" of compassion and acceptance, Ivanov creates an image not of division and comparison—as one might read from the obvious form of the work, the form of diptychs—but creates an image of accepting life—with all its diversity and multifaceted nature—finding in the details and differences the strength to love it even more. Ivanov's diptychs are executed by the hand of a master; they are technically performed at the highest level, but the very fact of seeking such optics, such a view, and a way of seeing the world in contemporary realities speaks not of heroism (which has no place in life), but of the need to rediscover the world, to see it with new eyes, as if reborn from the ashes. Like a phoenix, burning to the ground and renewing itself, Ivanov momentarily returns us to the moment of "purity of soul," showing the nature of the world, life, and photography as they truly are—pure and indivisible, alive and—in eternity—authentic, simple, and maximally open.Ivanov's work exists simultaneously in several traditions. It inherits both the critical, analytical Western thought and the contemplative gaze of the East. But in reality, the essence of this work lies in the synthesis and its uniquely Russian character. One can draw parallels with the cultures of the East—with Japanese Shinto, with Buddhism and the Daoist teachings of non-duality and unity, one can relate the project to psychoanalysis and the works of European philosophers, and they will fully fit into both traditions; each will see in them their cultural code, but in reality, we see here an absolutely Russian intuitiveness, maximum sincerity, even the confessional nature of the method and the voice of the lyrical hero. The strength of this work lies in its synthesis and universality—it shows contemporary Russian photography through a paradoxical combination of the incompatible, which comes together as harmoniously and holistically as possible, revealing itself to each viewer exactly as they are able and intend to see.Like a mirror, the work reflects the viewer's own truth, without judgment, accepting him as he is. However, behind this "mirroring" lies a tremendous amount of work—the author himself traverses this path, one could say, moment by moment, through the practice of photography, immersing himself in a state of the deepest empathy and acceptance of the world and the people in it. In search of inner truth, freedom, and liberation from the external, the artist leads us into the depths of his soul and brings us to ourselves through the paradoxical simplicity of his method and visual precision.
But these diptychs testify not only to an inner search and an attempt to reconcile or understand the reality and time in which we live; they combine multidimensional structures of different cultural codes, which, like fractals, fold into a harmonious pattern, into a single field, giving birth to a peculiar landscape of unity that possesses a very high degree of communicativeness.
Walking the path of power, the author seeks the unexplored. One might even say that he sees something that does not exist. Or perhaps it does exist but is hidden, and through his work, the author documents the very fact of the existence of this "Other," the otherworldly—that which is dealt with by practitioners of various spiritual teachings of the East, or priests, or children—and that which we often unlearn to see as we grow up. By shifting the assembly point in such a way that the very root of division disappears, the photographer captures this new world in his works, and leads us into a space where, although difficulty and conflict are present, they are present only as a stroke in the overall landscape, as one of the facets of this world. Like a blade of grass breaking through the earth in search of a source of light, like a sprout drying the earth, striving to live, grow, and bloom, so too does suffering, existing in life—acquire another quality and become an assistant on the path of gaining experience and knowledge, on par with the multitude of other phenomena, feelings, and events that make up our world. In Ivanov's work "On Non-Duality," we see the gaze of a master, the gaze of a grown artist of the millennial generation, who does not seek loud statements and sensationalism from the audience. These works cannot be called introverted; yes, they are personal, but the strength and precision of the author's voice speak of maturity, inner freedom and independence, of the author's fearlessness to be himself in the modern world, of the absence of fear of condemnation, the desire to please someone. These works also speak of lightness and love for life—conveyed from the author to the viewer, filling him with confidence, compassion, and acceptance. The author, like a sage who has lived more than one incarnation, having seen this and that, imparts to us knowledge about the nature of things and phenomena. Looking at these works, we gain an experience that helps us see the world as whole and indivisible, and which can be "recognized" only by the inner gaze; and which joins us to the celebration of life, giving a sense of acceptance and presence, tranquility, and belonging to eternity—as to the nature of love in our world.
Nikita Pirogov, editor
2019
ROMAN DRITS (LV)
Roman Drits. Series “aether”. Series “aether” by Roman Drits reveals wandering in unconscious and conscious dissolving in reality. It’s a personal works that shows a connection of the author to some boundary state, where energy, spirit of a place or a phenomena are depicted not through the image, but shown through the fact of shooting itself. Visual part of these works reveals a method of interrelation of the author and environment through the attempt of inner merge, dissolving in outer world. Ether, as it is known from antic philosophy is the fifth element, highest sphere, quintessence, primal matter, all-pervading substance that has created visible world. It is corresponds to Akashi in Hinduism. Ether is an impulse and root cause of manifested world. In this series Drits introduces us to the special state which is close to trance, infiltration to hidden, unmanifested matters. Or maybe it is an attempt to resonate with outer world, unveiling hidden in manifested? It is sort of all-pervading vibrations that give possibility to experience a transgression, to visit a space between real, physical world of manifestations and first principle, the cause of being. “aether” is in fact an inner possibility to realize, feel, and relive spiritual experience from interrelation with reality. This series also uncovers light as a medium that author is working with: it’s a main substance, the main message of the work; and “aether”, this special state helps to conduct it from the author to the viewer, or from reality to the work, introducing the audience to meditative state that allows to experience transcendence, hidden, but real .
ANASTASIA TSAYDER (RUS)
ALEXANDER LAVRENTIEV (RUS)
Alexander Lavrentiev. Alexander Lavrentiev is an Hermitage staff photographer. His work is remarkable because he has been shooting people in his hermitage studio and then in his home studio for many years, not wishing to come out to wide audience with his work. His work is similar to that of a watch master who tries to tune some complex mechanism. He imprints a whole layer of St. Petersburg life, creating some sort of a chronicle, taking pictures of people with different social status and professions, although staying invisible himself. These studio shootings look more like a practice of social liberation than just regular studio shootings. People coming to Lavrentiev are his friends. He knows them well and is able to reveal something only he knows about them, though staying in social frames, imposed first by Hermitage studio and then by the approach formed there. These shootings are similar to a talk that uncovers a dialogue which is based on social, external appearance of people although staying a dialogue of friends, basing on trust. These works are not a series or a project in its common sense, but are the lifestyle of an author. These works exist on the one hand in documentary field, on the other hand they are personal archive, staying author’s diary about people he met, showing not much an interrelation of a photographer and a model, but more communication of a friends. Lavrentiev gives a possibility to people to be themselves, he doesn’t embellish, nor idealizing them, as if saying: “we are those who we are, we are suchlike”, revealing an authentic naturalness. This creates a special feeling of time and society where the author and his heroes are living. Thus, inner uncovers as an outer, external space and the work of an author is more similar to the work of a laboratory assistant, that doesn’t affect the process but is responsible for the result. The result of Lavrentiev’s work is not just an artistic testimony, but the feeling of modernity itself, a feeling of time showing a new generation that uncovers a feeling of a modern society and culture in St.-Petersburg.
OLEG DOU (RUS)
Oleg Dou. Working title of the project – “Reborn”. The work of an artist Oleg Dou exists in paradoxical space. In his project “Reborn” Dou creates classical, Renaissance style images that are on one hand technically perfect, on the other hand inherit traditions of modernism with all the inner freedom inherent to it. On the third hand, Dou’s images disclose postmodern contexts declaring finiteness, death of art, trying to grasp processes happening with modern society and culture. The will of an artist Oleg Dou is overcoming the past, inheriting classical, modernist and postmodern traditions and ascends to metamodernism through the power of his artistic gesture, rethinking being. Dou opens the door to the searched reality through the critical relation to modernity and invincible faith to the new bloom of art. Dou’s artworks are full of self-contemplation, self-reflection that are overcoming ego through – paradoxical – self-love and love to modernity as well as through awareness of affiliation to the global art process, though sending us not to “art” and goals that modern artists impose, but to an attempt to realize what it means to be living human being. Dou peers into himself or into himself in the surrounding world and searches for images with his “inner vision”: these images are similar to visions in Tibetan Book of the dead “Bardo Thodol” and in fact are trials on the way to veritable reality sought by the author through his work. Attempt to achieve the New Renaissance in Dou’s work is deeply aesthetical. Unshakable belief of an artist that beyond outer, mortal form something else exists is creating images that the viewer has to overcome. Author invites the viewer to do the inner work that the author himself has done to realize the possibility of other (world, understanding, perception, and attitude). Dou’s artworks are sort of a door to a new perception, where through the metaphorical death and reborn he uncovers a paradoxical view of the artist who cognizes as external mortality of the form, mortality, finiteness of the human existence as well as inner immortality of the spirit. Although, Dou’s works tell us that this is also just an illusion on the way to genuine, invisible being; one of the demons or angels on the way to Nirvana. Artist Dou works with contemporary mass wishes of the viewer, needs of the modern man, peering into himself through it. Author doesn’t give discounts nor to himself, nor to a viewer. He recalls us to exemption from the illusions and stagnation. Thus, we can say that Dou’s art exists between confession and a prayer where faith to the Absolut unveils as love to the neighbor (even through the strict, inherent to classical painting attitude), as to the viewer and himself, and to the Art. Artist Oleg Dou is absolutely sure that it’s possible to overcome stagnation in contemporary art, caused by capitalistic speculations and hierarchies in modern culture. But before it happens, the viewer has to die (metaphorically): to be able to reborn to the new world, free from illusions. Or to die as many times as its needed to obtain such space of inner freedom that would be unstoppable: nor by market, nor by prejudices, nor politics or religious dogmas, and which would testify the Revival, New Renaissance, resurrecting human values, based on trust, empathy and respect.
ALENA ZHANDAROVA (RUS)
Alena Zhandarova. “Hidden Motherhood” series by Alena Zhandarova tells a very personal story of motherhood. Exploring the versatile experience she got from birth of her baby, Zhandarova transforms it to images using models and play with the environment, interrelating with the world through performance. She shows experienced feelings through her heroes inscribed into constructed interiors. Zhandarova works not as much as a sculptor, who molds with the clay of her heroes her own experience, but more as a medium of some states that she has encountered when she became a mother. Directing the space. Zhandarova conducts carefully encrypted but recognizable for modern mothers states to reality. Despite the physical and emotional work that modern mothers deal with, Zhandarova reveals love to the child in modern Russian society trying not to idealize the relationships, though staying loving, caring and sacrificial. Attempt to talk heart to heart with the modern society about motherhood experience turns around with the role game: besides the work of an artist, leaned severe life doesn’t let to forget about itself, and the works show more of interrelation of the artist not only with the viewer, but also with the child and surrounding space. On the one hand, author, trapped in daily routine tries to obtain a personal, private space for herself, an ability to take a break, on the other hand this experience of interrelation is self-valued and reveals an evidence of a peace in constant movement, in work: as in a work of an artist, as well as in physical and emotional work of a mother that is perceived by society as something granted. Zhandarova shares her personal experience of interrelation with the child and shows an evidence of such interrelation to the world, revealing contemporary experience of motherhood withdrawing personal experience to public space.
ANASTASIA TAILAKOVA
Anastasia Tailakova. Anastasia Tailakova’s work is the work of a collector. Tailakova is a digital nomad, collecting ephemerality, fragility of feelings and experiences of young generation, that has went from analogue reality to digital. Classical in essence, Tailakova’s works are showing a soul of digital age, through her allocution to the first digital cameras as a tool and technique in the age of ultrahigh resolution cameras, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Tailakova’s nostalgia on authenticity of sensations at the informational age is based on a feeling of an author, working with analogue, though contemporary approach in photography: not through the technique, but through the method. Tailakova “develops” a reality through interaction with it through the feeling that she keeps inside and which is similar to some promise of a retrograde to stay true to herself, do not compromise and do not adapt to anyone. Tailakova creates a portrait of a new generation of vulnerable, finely sensuous, people “with no skin”, who live in reality which is initially hostile towards them. This ‘otherness’ of Tailakova’s lyrical heroine exists in the process that is happening with young generations all over the world. Wishing for change, inspired by youth, modern young people encounter resistance of elder generations, who are way much more conservative, and that are holding on to the “old world”, imposing to the young people the way of life, what to believe in and even what to feel. Tailakova’s lyrical heroine is like Joan of Arc, who decides to go until the end following her inner calling for freedom in the age when the compromise of the crowd reaches its limit. By opening wide her soul, Tailakova gets a special immunity. some sort of ‘protective layer’ that protects her as a guarding angel and that allows her to see others to their cores, and by seeing the essence, aiming to the ‘developing’, imprinting these states on lo-fi cameras. Tailakova’s method is based on analogue, classical approach to photography. Her pixel light paintings are similar to impressionist art, uncovering sensuality and openness to the world. Tailakova’s wish for change in relationships between generations is rebellious, riotous, and protest-like. But this protest is not external, it is inner, and is a knowledge that is not understood by elder generations, nor by younger ones, that grows totally in digital word. It is an oath to be oneself until the end, even if she will have to stay alone and die as an author fighting for authenticity of the feeling. But Tailakova is not alone in her fight, she is guided by some spirit that protects her and guides to the new revelations through work and life. A question of fathers and children is eternal, but Tailakova through her uncompromising practice reveals something more: a space of authenticity, intimacy, empathy and verity, where it is possible to be yourself. Collecting these states and working with different genres, Tailakova creates an imprint, image of time, which is litmus test-like, shows truth in any viewer, staying some encrypted reminder about a promise, given by generations of 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s to be those who they are, not trying to pretend, stay alive, despite informational and visual ‘siege’, caused by informational overdose.
ALEXIS VASILIKOS (GR)
Alexis Vasilikos. Alexis Vasilikos is a prophet. He uses photography as a tool that helps him to spread a special knowledge and that he gets from philosophy, studying the nature of the world and a man, and photography as a medium (light). Working with light, Vasilikos seeks to obtain and reveal universal Truth, though staying in course of European photography and historical context of (Greek) democracy in his work. He seeks for a way to show some invisible but existing source that is formed differently in different religions. He tries to invent a language that could overcome the external form of the religious teachings and reveal the essence that photography as an art is working with. Talking simply, Vasilikos through his work sends a message about Love, as divine, as well as human. Vasilikos appears as a medium in his work, working with metaphor as a tool, fixating things that are casual, ordinary at the first glance. But beyond this simplicity there is another layer – situation where these works are created is full of love of an author as to his heroes (be at a phenomena, human being, God, landscape or nature), as well as to the essence the author is working with: to the light. Ascent of Vasilikos in the world of philosophy of photography and appearance of some uncatchable substance in his work gives an author a possibility to exist in two different aspects: a human, staying modern European, and a medium, when he overcomes human nature and is able to feel and conduct some meta-feeling, that he scoops from the source that all his works are telling us about. In his human aspect Vasilikos is working with the theme of personality that he gets from a tradition of antic Greek theatre and on which all the Western perception is based. To stay human author uses a mask that is applicable to actors of antic Greek tragedy. But he peers into this mask, into the basis of personality, in what creates social aspect of our existence, and through the work of a second, medium aspect, overcomes, but does not destruct it: merging with it and dissolves it as a maya, illusion, at the same time; to reveal authentic Love, authentic Light, a Source, initial principle - as spiritual, as well as physical. Photographic preachings of Vasilikos are full of simplicity, lightness, and volume. He immerses a viewer into such space where he/she feels care, warmth, happiness and compassion. Through the very gently, careful attitude to man Vasilikos tells that we all are One, part of a whole, a piece of God, and that we ourselves and the world around us – is God. And when we realize it, the hatred, pain and misunderstanding – what is caused by our artificial “personality” is going away. Liberating from personality, Vasilikos is preaching about peace and possible Paradise on Earth. Who knows, maybe Vasilikos is God himself. Or, maybe, we all are God and there is nothing that could stop us from change, transfiguration of the world around to the better way, where love itself would be a new religion.
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PETR ANTONOV (RUS)
Petr Antonov. “Ruins”. Petr Antonov takes images of destroyed, collapsing temples. Antonov’s ruins are similar to lost, unreachable, Promised Land of total happiness that though being ruined still exists through his work. Antonov shows Orthodox Christianity as some fundamental experience: a premonition of super valuableness of being because of divine purpose and super goal of earthly life that is just a special case of being, that prepares a man to eternal life. At the same time asceticism, vanity of worldly life, perishability is relevant to the work. Despite this, romantic feeling of still not lost knowledge and a possibility of a new bloom (of a spirituality? culture? or maybe something we don’t know about?) is also present in the project. However, ruins in the work of Antonov are symbolizing not much a culture or a spirituality of modern Russia, but resurrecting a space which is forgotten and lost; knowledge that has been here someday in the past, and that Antonov tries to keep, save from total disappearance. One of the main questions of Antonov is: “where are those God-bearing people” and “pious ancestors”, were they ever existing? Destroyed temples, being ruled by nature are regenerating and presenting a new state of sacredness. Squalor (in-deity) of ruins, forgotten, standing on the wastelands or in vanished, abandoned villages, existing out of time are symbolizing a victory of life over death. At the first glance it seems that temples are dead, but they are actually in the power of nature, they have reborn into something new and despite they are destroyed, the life is pulsating through them as if the nature itself were serving a prayer here. These dead-alive constructions that has overcame itself, are existing between the heaven and earth at the same time, and are metaphors of the life process itself, of our existence, constantly resurrecting awareness of being. Or maybe it is a soul, aiming to the sky, but living on a ground that has let it go and which obtains a new state of a prayer. Presence of Christ in these places, and consequently, in works, feels stronger than in new temples and their photographs. Antonov enjoys peace, spirit of the abandoned shrines. He finds pacification and reconciliation with reality, with earthly life, life in modern Russia, with time in which we live - in the process of shooting. Compositionally and in color close to perfection classical landscapes are revealing compassion and at the same time melancholy, relevant to the author, that are linked to the experience about the fate of the motherland, culture, time, modern man and the world as a whole. Though, obtaining peace through the shooting, author transfers to the viewer a feeling of fullness and serenity. “All is the will of God” – saying ruins and Antonov echoes them. Antonov, who ‘has seen the evening light’ through his work transfers some special state that he draws as from faith, as well as from nature, bringing a viewer the feeling of quiet grace, good news about possible resurrection, and overcoming of the death. Shooting a classical landscape, Antonov creates majestic monuments of the time – as a present, as well as past and future. Peering into destroyed temples as if he was peering into modernity, timelessness or eternity itself he is like saying us: “This will pass too”. Dying, our body is coming back to earth, to be eaten by worms, and the soul goes to another age. Same in Antonov’s work: something has died, but something totally different has been born on its place. Maybe, it is Russia itself has died and resurrected in an attempt to obtain something ancient and forgotten, but discovering something brand new. And if His Spirit, immortal Soul went to another age, to other space, if we are left alone, we still remember that they exist, and Antonov’s works are the evidence of it, that are waiting, waiting for His return.
TIMOTHEUS TOMICEK (AT)
Timotheus Tomicek. “Double take”. Tomicek’s work is the work of philosopher in photography. Attempt to obtain the truth is facing the border: of a meaning? perception? essence? being? Attempt to obtain understanding based not on a symbol or sign, not on a verbal perception in Tomicek’s work gets a form of installations where the main method is synergy of images and liberation of semantic fields. At the same time, author carefully constructs reality for transgression not to get a form of a chaos. Constructed spaces that are liberating being in Tomicek’s work are the experiment, where the space itself that author works with and necessary essences that are required for the time/space are the source. These essences allow to relieve authenticity of experience and overcome the borders of perception that author is declaring. Tomicek tells about existence of these borders, and at the same time he decides to look beyond them, to space where total unity of space and time, image and an essence, meaning and form exists. These spaces in the work of an author tells about originality and essentiality of phenomena – as real, material forms, as well as ideas, first causes of objectivity. Harmony, conciseness, minimalism in Tomicek’s work are similar to revelation: he doesn’t need conglomeration of images to reveal searched essence (of a time, feeling, and space). He peers into being and its immaterial basis through very precise images, that allow to experience interaction with the source (light) and surrounding reality, giving a freedom of feeling and perception – and through that experience the transgression. Through his work Tomicek shows modern European perception: originality, naturalness of forms obtained through revelation of metaphysical essences in surrounding environment that are taken from it, and where the man (the viewer) is the goal, consequence, and the original cause of the work. Peering into the man, in conscience, in perception, author through the world of ideas ascends to Absolut which is although eternally unreachable and unknowable, but could be sensually palpable. Showing humanistic point of view on man and grasping human nature, Tomicek looks on modern man as on perceiving, sensuous, vital subject. He knows that borders exist, but also he knows that on the other side there is also exists another (man) and that the source, primordial basis is one and there are no reasons to hide from being and not to overcome imaginary differences. Tomicek’s work is happening in two dimensions at the same time: material, physical world and in the space of ideas, symbolical field. Working with photography, with images, Tomicek shows an essence in space that allows to feel total experience of metaphysical being, overcoming but not destructing the borders, where everyone can choose how much he decides to get involved in common space of mystery, created by an author. Images in his work are the conductors to meta-space which is free from conditional verbal and semantic boundaries. On the one hand, it can be terrifying because to experience the highest Truth, real being, free from categories that are relevant to our social experience and perception is very hard and sometimes even dangerous because the man will have to face his own lowdown. On the other hand, liberating from artificial, superficial and inert author guides us to the space of reborn that changes our perception of ourselves, world, time and life itself, giving a possibility to be deep, high and wide – in limitless space of being: as physical as well as metaphysical, and to feel catharsis. As limitless the universe is, as our earthly form is limited, as uncatchable is unknown and at the same time how few we do actually know: our consciousness, feelings, thoughts – all exists inside us; but comes from the higher space: there is a law exists that is happening and being created in higher spheres, being realized in our earthly life. And if the God cognizes himself through us, if we are the universe ourselves – limitless, immense, unknown – Tomicek evidences about it and opens the door to another world to change us: he open the door of absolute knowledge, though protecting us as if saying: “You are the man, we are people, the world and us is one. There is nothing to be afraid of”.
ANDREY IVANOV (RUS)
Andrey Ivanov. “Identity index” series. In his series ‘Identity index’ Ivanov takes images of graffiti that could be prohibited and banned by Russian government. Through this work he raises questions of freedom and self-awareness – as collective, as well as personal, in modern Russia. Ivanov discovers a tiny edge of public declaration, protest as in street art, appealing to civil self-awareness. Though, author stays an observer who collects different states of landscape. This landscape despite its obvious external, physical nature is more likely shows a reflection of the author and his attempt to answer the question of what does it mean to be a citizen of modern Russia, and widely – what does it mean to be Russian. This inner landscape, a hidden leitmotif of roaming Russian self-consciousness nothing else but an attempt to reflect on national identity, answer the question: “Who am I”? The works of Ivanov transgress and reveal the restless Russian spirit that author shows through his work carefully and with love. The work of Ivanov essentially is an attempt to find a message about peace in such a controversial reality where modern citizens of Russia live. Landscape in this series unfolds as inner space of search and reflection, an attempt to realize, overcome and free up politically biased space of censorship and restrictions. Though, author presents to a viewer not even a landscape, nor graffiti: this works transform into metaphors that shows secluded view of the external environment contemplator, who search for a reason or a way to love the neighbor, regardless of his/her national affiliation. Thus, this work essentially is an attempt to overcome the “casuality” and move to the reality which is free from definitions that create a conflict, disagreement and misunderstanding. It is also an attempt to find the “core” of identity beyond the external stereotypes, models of behavior and beliefs imposed by the society. It is contemplation, peering into the core of social life that disperses the false ideas dictated from the outside.
ANNA KHARINA (RUS)
Anna Kharina. Anna Kharina in her work shows modern feminine perception. Kharina’s feminine photography on the one hand doesn’t follow the trends of feminism, is not aggressive and militant, and on the other hand doesn’t fit into the patriarchal model of the world with its compulsion of women to humility and subordination to men. Kharina works with portrait, showing simplicity and openness, sensuality of her heroes and heroines. Her portraits are full of fire, passion, emotions, and experiences. She takes pictures by instinct, revealing authenticity and purity of feelings in her heroes. Interacting with them through empathy and compassion, Kharina reveals sensuality which is first of all corporeal, baring soul states through that. But desire in Kharina’s work isn’t only sexual; it’s more of a need in interaction, special sort of communication through photography which is similar to dance. Kharina metaphorically dances with her heroes, living with them through their stories, interacting with them from within. Her heroes are experiencing very wide range of states, and she accepts these states as a wise foremother, who knows her children well. She doesn’t judge and doesn’t get surprised of edges of human experiences, as she understands the unity of form and essence, which allows her to cognize life and human through feeling and spiritually. Kharina enjoys beauty and physicality, as feminine, as well as masculine. Kharina’s dance with her heroes despite its sharpness and closeness emanates from some hidden source, which is heart though. Need in heart interaction in Kharina’s work occurs from need of healing and unity of opposite beginnings. Despite all external vehemence and emotionality, Kharina stays in rest in motion, she realizes that as feminine gives birth to masculine, as well as masculine creates feminine and that they cannot exist one without another. Similar to the ritual dance near the fire of death (feeling), she searches for possibility to experience the soul merge with her heroes, to feel fullness and heal inner unfreedom, remove the clamp and reach naturalness which can be obtained through trust and liberation on spiritual and physical plans. Kharina accepts the essence of her heroes – as external as well as inner. She is like making love to them, accepting as what’s beautiful in them, as well as what’s ugly, or what they think is ugly but what actually isn’t. Kharina loves photography, loves people, loves to feel and cognize herself and surrounding world through the heart experiencing of a moment of co-existence. In the world full of dry rationality and analysis, which blocks a stream of feelings and in the world, where the feelings are bumbling, not grown and ruined in the beginning of their appearance, Kharina takes on responsibility of sensuous healing and education: she grows, she tames, she protects and directs, and following, and loves, always loves. She dances not the party of androgen, nor the party of a man. Kharina is driven by her heroes, she gives them a possibility to show them to her, and still she knows that the final destination, a goal of interaction is love. Allowing her heroes to bring her there where the love would be palpable she brings there her viewer as well. She idles in action, worrying, stays calm. Swinging on the waves of feeling, and recognizing the source of being – as physical, as well as spiritual, and that the reason we are all here is Love, Kharina contemplates the world and people, accepting them and herself in all the imperfect perfection.
ELENA ANOSOVA (RUS)
Elena Anosova. Elena Anosova’s work as a documentary photographer is very famous among the wide audience. Besides her work with the themes of isolated groups, personal borders and infinity, Anosova also has personal works. These works are full of experiences of an artist included into the process of a social work as strong as the experience of a person who compromised on what humanity is. In presented series we can see a personality of an author who tries to show some heavy cargo that lays on her heart and soul because of the life in society where violence is legitimized. Though, these works could not be described as “right/wrong”, “good/bad”, they are full of presence of the artist herself, immersed into creation of her projects which formally express the idea of careful relation between people and possible freedom. Anosova, holding a heavy background of a ‘social worker’ shows herself as an author that is looking for a compromise, who tries to find a middle way in art and social appearance, as well as in need of personal peace and privacy. Despite her shooting style looks as if she uses her heroes as objects, they are way more likely her associates who share similar worldview and perception of modernity. Working freely with different genres, Anosova can express her as in portrait, self-portrait, as well as in landscape and still life. But dissatisfaction of the author who knows human background appears in all the works of presented selection of images. Anosova wishes for change but isn’t able to reject her personal human needs. Wish of a better life for herself and others encounters a compromise, when necessity of a choice takes place – to do something for others, or to show “as needed”, “as it should be”. Living in modern society of violence, Anosova searches not for an attempt to overcome it, not to heal the trauma, but to find such space where violence would be irrelevant; or to find a space of security. But as we know the freedom of one finishes where the freedom of another begins and Anosova in attempt to find personal space faces unsolvable task, Gordian knot of modernity that she doesn’t decide to cut, nor she decides to unravel it. Thus, Anosova exists deep in the social conflict and as an author tells us that this conflict exists. Anosova tries to contemplate the conflict to understand how it is possible to grasp the human nature or how is it possible to escape the conflict, to overcome it.
LIAILIA GIMADEEVA (RUS)
Liailia Gimadeeva. “Time machine”. In “Time machine” Gimadeeva tells a story of her classmates. It is a project-recollection that gives possibility to come back to the past which is full of hopes, when author and her heroes didn’t yet step into the adult life completely, when they are carefree and can enjoy simple life: communication with friends, studying, thoughts about the future, games, first loves: freedom from worries that youth gives. Gimadeeva gives a possibility to her classmates to dream, to let themselves go, to loosen up, trust each other. This is how they trust their stories to her. Heroes of Gimadeeva want to believe that the future will be good: as for them, as well as for their parents and future families. Heroes of “Time machine” are the modern residents of Astrakhan’, southern part of Russia. They are growing up in reality where the government doesn’t interfere to the life of people that much, but on the other hand influences very strongly, creating unpronounceable set of rules, forming some models of behavior, some sort of regulations. This creates routine that is very difficult to overcome for an adult, but which is not cognized by young people. Telling the story of growing up, Gimadeeva shows how her heroes are going farther from the purity of youth and sink into issues of the day, miring in gossip, compromising for survival. Working hard. It is impossible the other way here. But people are hoping for something bright, as well as author does. Who is interested in fates of young citizens of Astrakhan’? A government? A center’s residents? Only to their relatives? Or, maybe, only to them? Gimadeeva is full of hopes and love to her heroes; she tells them that she is not indifferent. She, same as them, believes that the “Golden Time” will come once. But nor heroes, nor the author herself do not realize that this “Golden time” is already here, it is happening right now, they are waiting for it, though it is already present. This is how we sometimes are dreaming about something far, not paying attention to what’s happening here and now. Immersed into daily routine Gimadeeva’s heroes through the heaviness of everyday life are dreaming about a change, about some wonder, that could change their lives. As flourishing lotus flowers, these young people are entering the adult life. Or maybe they are adults who keep the seed of special knowledge that youth has given them?.. Author through her work is constantly sending her heroes, and the viewer with them – to the past: “Do you remember that?”, “Did that came true?”, “Do you feel the same way as before?” Gimadeeva’s “Time machine” is the story of generation that is becoming lost, slowly fading, growing up - on the one hand, but on the other hand author through her work is trying to save her heroes and a viewer from this lostness and oblivion: she wants to believe that it won’t happen and that everything will change in the future, or will return to the state where it was when they all have been studying and living together, trusting each other aiming to the future with hope. Probably, this work is about experience of growing up that every person experiences. But Gimadeeva’s voice and her work – is a magical casket with melody that brings back youth. At least for the time while we’re watching the images. “Time machine” is similar to a heart talk with a close friend. The project is giving a viewer a possibility to overcome the routine, plunge into the water of sincerity, believe again that everything is possible; it gives hope and awareness that the “Golden time” – both now and then. Always.
OLGA YAKUSHENKO (RUS)
Olga Yakushenko. “Detachment” series. In her series “Detachment” Yakushenko peers into psychological trauma which is relevant to modern man and society. She uses multiple exposures to connect some states that could create an image of this trauma, to reveal, face it. These works tell us about very fragile perception. “When a person is depressed, he/she rejects his/her personality and dissolves in external world of nature and objects. He/She feels the world sharper, dissolving in it and it brings relief and purity. It means that melancholy and depression nothing else but uncovering of a “quiet’ world, which is usually hidden”. Through the renouncement of pride and through the humility, Yakushenko creates some sort of tunnels to this “quiet world” where her compassion to those who feel sadness, sorrow or melancholy is present.
MARIYA KOZHANOVA (RUS)
Mariya Kozhanova. In her project “All flesh is grass” Kozhanova captures states of the nature in different seasons. Time passes, something changes, and something lasts. Kozhanova isn’t aim to create anything in this work, but tries to synchronize with nature to obtain some sort of a rhythm and show a regularity of phenomena, the cycle of things in nature. In her journey everything is coming back to its place, where it came from. After death there is a birth, after birth there is growth, then bloom, then fading, death and birth again. Kozhanova tries to coincide with the states of nature, to reveal cyclicality and to convey to the viewer the awareness of the laws and naturalness of things and events, despite the aggression coming from culture, civilization; which is superstructure to nature and that tries to enslave it; that uses it. “All flesh is grass” is a lullaby to the Mother Earth, appealing to the life itself, to the origin that has given us our earthly life. Kozhanova observes changeability of the surrounding environment with love: she tries to accept everything – feelings, thoughts, and states in the same way as the planet does – accepting all creatures at all times, all phenomena. “All flesh is grass” tells about synchrony with the planetary cyclicality, exposing solitary, natural, harmonious state, letting go of all external anxiety and contradictions. In our earthly life we do pay a lot of attention to what we create ourselves: a way of life, interaction with others, mode of life, work, etc.. But the nature – ever-changing, all-accepting, gives us a possibility to create and build our lives, stays unchangeable in its constant changeability. Whatever we do, whoever we are, whatever our age is, whatever differences we have – the nature accepts all, keeping in itself a possibility for differences to coexist, though not always peacefully. Poetic diary of Kozhanova is the comprehension on the nature of life itself that uncovers a possibility to free up from expectations, fears and doubts infused by civilization. But it is also a tribute to the physical, tangible, real Earth, with all its wonders and contradictions.
KATKA PRACKOVA (SK)
Katka Prackova. “Incompatible coalescence” series. In “Incompatible coalescence” series Prackova uses multiple exposures to reveal some primordial, natural, wild state in different parts of the world, in this case in Orinoco in Latin America. Prackova liberates pure feeling of a moment and freedom in it. Taking pictures of mighty streams and rivers of the world, Prackova strengthens the experience, folding states that are incompatible at the first glance, superimposing one image on another. The result of this “merging” are the works full of elemental, natural power, releasing not only human experience, but sending us to the essence of the genius loci, which is in this case is Venezuela. This works exist out of political context, but speaks about natural, primordial state of fullness, about mystery kept by nature. This series reveals not just spontaneity of Orinoco, but more freedom, inner emancipation of these places. The works are dated to 2019, when political context of a place is on its peak though sending us back to the date of shooting – 2008, giving possibility to travel in time into the past, but concrete state. Prackova revives this state that possibly didn’t go anywhere, that exists out of politically biased informational space: she creates spontaneous elemental stream which is full of freedom and abundance that is kept by genius loci, a power of Orinoco’s nature. The work of Prackova overcomes modern conflict, she washes it off, liberating some feeling that she draws from nature, or which leading her through nature. The work of Prackova essentially is a portal to unknown, very deep experience outgoing from nature and testifies about unity of the author with some state, about her merge with some essence that fills her and as a sip of refreshing cold water brings viewer back to life, resurrecting him to a new perception. She tells about deep unity with the nature of these places, calling a viewer to a moment of determination, belief to some primordial, primal, mystery full of initial knowledge.
