Room #5

Russian soul and secrets, love, memories, homeland, dreams

Behind the Volga there is land!

This video explores a family matter narrated across three layers. The story uses three types of language: images show my grandfather and his surroundings in Russia; subtitles reveal a conversation he had with my grandmother in their apartment; and letters appear throughout, taken from documents related to my grandfather that were used against him when he was imprisoned.

The story is about corruption and the inner struggle of an old, simple man trying to save himself with letters, hoping to break a vicious cycle of events.

“I would like to go in a country, where the police does not exist.” He will never leave his country. He loves it too much… (audio extract)

screenings

2012. A ciascuno il suo [paesaggio] – curated by Katia Baraldi in collaboration with Art Hub | TEATR_ariaARTIVISIVE in Roccagloriosa/Italy 2009. International Film Festival Carbunari | Borders+Segments curated by Luca Curci | Museum Florean in Maramures/Romania 2009. Kurye International Video Festival | Essence/Borders curated by International Art Expo in Istanbul/Turkey 2009. Real/Unreal – Playlist curated by Odile Orsi | gallery neon>campobase in Bologna/Italy

7 minutes (Who is the winner?)

Since 1990, the Russian city of Perm, situated in the Ural Mountains, has hosted the international dance competition “Arabesque” every two years in honor of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the legendary composer born nearby. This prestigious event takes place at the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre. The images here were taken during the competition in April 2006 and in Xokhlova, a nearby village.

Perm was a city my grandfather often dreamed about, even after he moved with his family to Volgograd following their time in the Ural Mountains. My mother was born in a town near Tchaikovsky’s birthplace, and for years, my grandfather cherished the memory of that landscape. When I finally arrived there, I understood why. The land is strikingly beautiful -powerful, vibrant, and rich, yet underappreciated. It is a colorful and expansive region.

At the same time, the country felt like a mix of opposites. There were signs of the old Communist times alongside the fast changes brought by Capitalism. This created a mix of poverty and quick development, but things felt unorganized and lacked clear direction. To me, it was both interesting and confusing. I saw it as an outsider, but I was also trying to understand and connect with it.

My time with the dancers and trainers in the theater brought back memories of my own experience as a former athlete in East Germany, and it left me feeling uneasy. The relentless pain from training and strict diets, the constant pressure to succeed – it all seemed to overshadow the beauty and artistry of dance.

with Cui Chen, Lee Dong-Hun, Francesca Dugarte, Victoria Kapitanova, Nina Novak, Ruslan Savdienov, Dmitry Semionov, Victoria Terioshkina, Vladimir N. Tolstiuchin, Ivan Vasiliev, Natalia Yershova, George Zoritsch and many more | music and composing by Florent Constantin

backstage glamour, 2009 | light-boxes made of old wood and 3 lambda prints each, elecrical light system | about  cm  27x82x14 

The wood used for the light-boxes comes from an old floor, chosen to symbolically incorporate both the foundation of classical tradition, now aged, and the effort and dedication of the dancers, who leave the marks of their intense experiences on the floor.

screenings & exhibitions

2012. OltreDimore @ cutlog – Bourse de Commerce de Paris 2 in Paris/France 2011. Da Storia nasce cosa – group exhibition curated by Arianna Carcano | Fondazione San Domenico in Crema/Italy 2010. Atto ZERØ – gallery OltreDimore in Bologna/Italy 2010. International Video Art Festival | VIDEOHOLICA | Art Biennal in Varna/Bulgaria 2010. XVII International Festival of videodance, NAPOLIDANZA, “Il coreografo elettronico”, Museum PAN in Naples/Italy

The warrior & Mongolian roots

This small sculpture was inspired by the remarkable discovery of a frozen mummy, dating back 2,500 years, found in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. Before the sarcophagus was opened, the body of the Scythian warrior was thought to be that of a very tall person. However, upon revealing the remains, archaeologists discovered her unusually large headpiece.

I was drawn to the history of the Mongols, my own ancestral roots, and the traditions of shamans and healers, as well as the nomads and warriors. My warrior is a woman and carries a lance, similar to those used for fishing, and opens her hand without revealing her weapon. We all have a subtle weapon, and we all have more than two sides. At least, that’s how I felt at the time when I delved into the fascinating art of bronze work.

Her body evokes a sense of goodness, though it doesn’t resemble the archaeological discovery at all, particularly because she was found fully clothed and adorned with beautiful tattoos that tell stories. I imagine her as a very female warrior, a healer, and a storyteller. For some reason, she was deeply admired by her people which makes her to me to a goodness. For some reason, she was deeply admired by her people, which leads me to see her as an embodiment of goodness, similar to the well-known small Venus figurines.

Warrior | 2005 | sculpture made of bronze | about cm 20x20x40

Roots

My journey with wood as a material began with this sculpture. Here is the story behind it. I had just arrived in Berlin and needed wood for a sculpture. They gave me a piece of Linden wood from a tree that had been struck by lightning just a few days before. I took this as a very good sign.

From there, I began to shape a figure—a man-animal. A man close to the earth, in order to avoid falling. A man who transforms into an animal to escape from prison. The sculpture doesn’t appear frightening but rather reminiscent of birth. Even the bark that remains evokes the imagery of birth. However, the hands reach toward the nose, making a gesture commonly seen among Russian people when they have a headache. You can observe it in buses, and I believe it must have roots in some Indian Chakra tradition.

Creating this sculpture was an enjoyable process. Linden wood is soft and gentle, which made it a pleasure to work with. I only needed to add a piece of ash for the hand. The base, however, needed to be strong and contrasting with the lightness of the wood above. That’s why I chose eucalyptus, a beautiful and entirely different type of wood.

The lightning truly felt like a sign in the end, as this sculpture ultimately led me to cross paths with some very important people in my life.

Roots | 2006 | sculpture made of Linden, Ash, and Eucalyptus wood | about cm 80x40x50