FREEDOM OF SPEECH, 2023
Digital photography, print 42x60cm, video ( 9 minutes), metal stencil, passport
The artwork explores the intersection of the political situation and the war instigated by a terrorist state with the personal trauma of belonging to the same state. It raises questions about identity and the collective guilt applied to all Russians as a nation and every individual holding Russian citizenship, regardless of their reasons. In this context, the passport becomes the central element of the installation, although being just an object, it is the most significant determinant of the artist's identity and humanity since 24th February of 2022. The artwork presents helplessly naked flesh confronting a brutal and unyielding political regime. The gaze of the flesh speaks for itself, with the covered mouth symbolizing the impregnable censorship that renders resistance impossible. The piece portrays the inner conflict of forced belonging and alienation. Through the use of a flashlight to explore the body with anatomical monotony, the artwork represents a struggle for transparency, a struggle of flesh, borders, and an inner war.
Digital photography, print 42x60cm, video ( 9 minutes), metal stencil, passport