The loss of traditional Russian crafts and what they mean for our cultural code

Tell us about your background in art. How did you come to contemporary art?

I’ve always loved to draw, and my path to contemporary art ran through digital media. Alongside my commissioned work I made things for the drawer, for myself, looking for unusual subjects and trying out different styles. When I got into Blazar, I understood I had to keep going in that direction.

What was difficult about your previous profession, what had maybe run its course, that made you choose a new path?

Design is my bread and butter and I’m not giving it up. I like combining design and art now and then, adding function to the work. That’s how I arrived at metal, after a lot of experimenting with other materials: graphics, oil and acrylic, plaster and filler.

How does the creative process differ between the games industry and contemporary art?

I haven’t actually worked in the games industry, though I do specialize in 3D graphics and visual effects. There were times when we made our own project with orcs from Warcraft, but it wasn’t a game — it was closer to a teaser for a film or a game.

What subject do you work with? Was it hard to find your subject and your method?

Tell us about your art. What are you experimenting with at the moment?

Honestly, I can’t say exactly what yet, but I’m reflecting on nostalgia for Russian traditions. In my work I always try to use metal elements and embroidery, which I associate with tradition, folk crafts and everything that comes with them.

Which of your results are you proudest of so far?

I’m not proud of anything — I just do what I love, with pleasure, without chasing fame or recognition. But it would be lovely if my work got more attention.

What strategy have you chosen? Do you apply to open calls? How does it feel when you get in?

My strategy is this: when I see an open call that feels close to me in spirit and subject at that moment, I apply. I try to do it more often, but sometimes I just want to disappear into the work, and then I give myself a break. The new project I presented at my final review will be updated a little, because I can’t stand still and I’m always bringing in new ideas.

What do you think lies ahead for digital art in Russia? And how do you see where it stands now? Isn’t it daunting to work in a medium that many viewers still find new?

As for digital art in Russia, I think it will develop and pick up speed, especially in large spaces — the recent project in Zaryadye Park, for instance. Audiences like it, but it’s more about entertainment than contemporary art. Right now digital works often look alike: bright, flashy, abstract, and it isn’t always clear who made them. I think that in time this “digital noise” will become more considered, more interesting from a contemporary art point of view, and more conceptual.

Name the artists who inspired or influenced you.

I was strongly influenced by the work of Bill Viola as a pioneer of media art. His pieces make you want to think, to cry; they make you consider what is important and eternal.

What is your mission as an artist and as a person? Do the two coincide?

My mission is to cultivate an aesthetic sense in people.

What are your next plans as an artist?

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