Answers to society’s collective traumas come out of people’s small objects: an interview with a student of the program — Vivato Eka

Hi everyone! Welcome to issue 20 of our #ourstudents series, a run of interviews where our students talk about themselves and their art.

For this issue I invited the artist Vivato Eka (Ekaterina Sheludyakova).

Tell us how you decided to go into contemporary art, and where you started.

I was looking for a way out of depression and started doing art therapy with a psychologist. Then I found out from social media that contemporary art existed, and off it went))

Where did you find your first ideas for works, and are they still with you now?

As someone who loves Russian classic literature, I found my first ideas in my family history. It was also important for me to work through my psychological traumas and the family patterns that were holding me back. After that came an existential interest in life and death and in funerary culture.

My grandmothers live in a village in the Voronezh region, and I spent a lot of time there as a child and a teenager. A lot of inspiration comes from there too — Soviet openwork icons, old handmade gravestones.

Was it hard to get into Winzavod’s “Open Studios”?

I got in on my sixth attempt. Some artists get in on the first.

A lot depends on the personalities and the vision of that season’s mentors — they make the final call.

I know for sure that everything happens in its own time. Getting into a great project or exhibition is not hard, but it matters that you are ready for it, that you understand what you want to achieve and what your goals are. Then taking part gives your career a real boost.

What was the most valuable and the most interesting part of taking part in “Open Studios”?

The most valuable part was the experience of a first big project and of my first sales.

The feedback from my mentor Lera Kononchuk also helped a lot in my practice afterwards.

And the most interesting part was the parties with the artists in the studios.

Was anything difficult, on the other hand?

“Open Studios” was a warrior’s path for me. I got in during a financially very hard stretch of my life and had no money for the final project. To be honest, I had no money for food either — I was surviving on an extremely small amount per month, but I was still very happy, because my life was full of art and of people who thought like me.

There was a happy ending: I raised the money for the project on my birthday by throwing a ‘charity’ event at Open Studios.

What is your art about today? Does it still carry you forward?

This summer I am travelling around Russia; I visited the Old Cemetery in Astrakhan and I am gathering material for research. I will be continuing my project “Decor”, specifically making new kiots (wooden cases with bricolage, traditionally used to hold icons).

Which exhibitions or other achievements would you single out in your path so far?

This winter there were two unusual exhibitions — at the New Wing of Gogol House and at the Russian State Library for Young Adults, where I made large installations.

Together with other artists I am also building my art space “Presence”.

What advice would you give to emerging artists?

Learn to hear yourself: how exactly you want to make projects, how you want to build your career.

Spread yourself less thinly across a million applications, open calls and markets, and instead make coherent projects and pitch them to galleries and exhibition venues.

What are your plans going forward?

Right now I plan to finish the project “Decor” and put on a solo show. And to focus on earning from art and growing my upcycled clothing and accessories brand.

As for what is coming up soon — on 22 August there was a happening I took part in at the Fine Art gallery, Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art. And in the autumn there will be an exhibition called “Cemetery”.

Tell us, was the program useful to you?