Anna Škodenko, Darja Popolitova, Viktor Gurov and Francisco Martínez at RIGA ART SPACE

KEEPING THINGS IN THE DARK is a collectively curated art project, based on ethnographic research. The exhibition at the EKA gallery is the final part of a trilogy, which reflects on the correlation between public secrets and shadow spaces in Ida-Virumaa. Over the past three years, we have visited 37 basements, exploring the underground material culture of this post-industrial, Russian-speaking, ecologically devastated region. A four-artist installation has been the first outcome of our collective work, which was exhibited in the Riga Art Space (2022) and at the Sillamäe Museum (2023). In the meantime, we have been developing our installation and continued with our research and the exchange of ideas. As a result, we have created four new, individual works.

For this artistic research project I created two sculptural artworks: the audio-visual sculpture titled БАЮ-БАЙ [HUSHABY] and wall installation KRATT© MADE IN IDA-VIRUMAA.

БАЮ-БАЙ introduces a surreal video located in a sculpture in the form of a baby carriage. The name of the sculpture comes from a Russian lullaby and after twisting the word ‘баять’ (to talk along). Having such a calm name, the video, however, culminates differently — silence turns into a rave, the past becomes present, and inanimate objects come to life.

KRATT© MADE IN IDA-VIRUMAA — a wall installation consisting of sculptured oil shale fragments exposed on 3D-printed shelves. Kratt is a workaholic mythological creature who destroys oneself when its creator entrusts it with impossible tasks.

The wall installation tells a story about Nikolai:

We met Nikolai, a miner who wandered dispiritedly in the Mining Museum of Kohtla-Nõmme. Nikolai told us that he visited the museum because it’s where his ‘fiery underground story’ started.

While the Kohtla mine was still operating, the miner created Kratt, a magical creature, a work freak who used to work for humans. Because the miner couldn’t do tough jobs due to his health and couldn’t afford to stay without pay, he came up with Kratt.

In order for Kratt to come to life, Nikolai had to sell his soul to the Vanapagan in exchange for three drops of blood, but the miner tricked him and gave Satan three drops of shale oil.

With this deal, Vanapagan breathed life into the oil shale body of Kratt created by Nikolai. Nikolai moved up in his job while Kratt worked in the mines, but one day Nikolai gave Kratt a bigger task than he could handle. Kratt is known to ignite and self-destruct in such cases.

Under the influence of the new trends of the Green Revolution, the manager gave him the task of extracting oil shale in a completely waste-free and 100% environmentally sustainable way. Considering that Kratt was already made of oil shale, he caught fire very easily and tore himself to pieces trying to manage this task.

On these shelves, you can see the remains of Kratt’s body, created by Nikolai and brought to life by Vanapagan.

Riga Art Space [Curator Ieva Astahovska]
02.12.—15.01.2022
Sillamäe Museum
05.05.—03.06.2023
EKA Gallery
22.09.—25.10.2023

GRATITUDE
Pire Sova, Svetlana Ivanova, Ekaterina Grafova, Jelena Mutonen, Andrei Mitkovets, Nadežda Popolitova, Jakob Tulve, Kadri Kivinurm, Erik Hõim, Andres Nõlvak, Allar Rebane, Madis Kaasik, Riina Varol, Mari Kivipõld, Taavi Teevet, Dmitri Fedotkin, Enas Amerkhanov, Dept. of Jewellery and Blacksmithing, WasteMatters ERC project, Sillamäe Museum and, overall, to all who have contributed to the exhibition in different ways.

RELATED TEXTS, INTERVIEWS & MEDIA COVERAGE
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