Title: „Der nichtlineare Verlauf der Geschichte“
Year of production: 2025
Materials: Mixed media on canvas
Dimensions: 130 x 120 x 2 cm
Despription
“Der nichtlineare Verlauf der Geschichte” refers to inner fears, political upheavals, and social uncertainty. These apparitions, or monsters, have accompanied humanity in various forms throughout history. The inspiration for this work is Bartholomeus Pons’s “Cellar Scene” (1537). Dogs rise from the dark cellar, symbolizing fears and repetitions of history. The human figures, in contrast, appear paralyzed, indicating powerlessness and the clinging to behavioral patterns. The disproportionate horse, floating uncontrollably through the pictorial space is an unpredictable element that exists in the midst of order. The misplaced nuclear cloud, representing total annihilation, recalls the threat of war and catastrophes that are becoming present recently. The empty and distorted suits of armor in battle stance indicate recurring past and current conflicts. The distorted floating motifs disrupt the harmony of the piece through incorrect proportions and perspectives. Along with the color gradients, these elements disrupt the spatial order and create a palpable sense of unease. Despite the clear spatial structure, they fail to find balance, emphasizing the fragility of security and order.
The work conveys a paradoxical message: It depicts the simultaneous acceleration and clinging to familiar patterns. Chaos is presented in apparent harmony to reflect the complexity of our reality, in which we are surrounded by emotional turmoil, social dissonance, and unpredictable natural forces in the wake of climate change.
Although we are hunted by our monsters, oscillating between progress, stagnation, and destruction, every crisis contains a new beginning. To survive, we need to learn from our mistakes and evolve, since the monsters are constantly improving.
Artist Statement
In my artistic practice I combine realism, abstract elements, pop art, and surrealism. This fragmented unity creates an ambiguity embodied in both the motifs and the spaces surrounding the characters. Growing up in Kazakhstan, a cultural melting pot, shaped me through the influence of various cultures. My migration to Germany further enhanced this diversity in my aesthetic. These influences manifest in series such as “Infoxication“, “Power and narcissism“, “My therapist says“, “Stimme des Raums“, etc. Each series is an attempt to develop a visual and emotional language that builds a bridge to the viewer.
I often work intuitively, abstracting forms to create new identities. My characters are based on real people, but also on references from art history, myths and my own imagination. My figures are often transitory beings, balancing on invisible boundaries. These balancing acts are sometimes a mythical existence between two beings (animal and human), an exhibitionism and a concealment, a perfect appearance and behind it an abysmal emptiness.
Many of my works are multi-layered, emphasizing the aspect of reproducibility. It is important to me to demonstrate that the medium of painting is changing its status due to the influence of new media. My works combine movement and stillness, creating an unsettling and surreal atmosphere. I achieve this effect, among other things, through the use of transparent fabrics painted on with acrylic and clad onto the canvas. The fabric remains visible, the surface appears pixelated, and the underlying layers shine through the “second skin.” Subtle spatialities emerge that are reminiscent of my earlier sculptural works. I initially began my artistic practice as a sculptor, bending wire figures that worked like three-dimensional drawings.