Commedia dell'Arte in Crimea 2012

Arsen Savadov created this photograph, *Commedia dell'Arte in Crimea*, using staged figures and props on a beach in Crimea. Savadov's photo invites us to consider the ways in which historical and cultural narratives are constructed and reinterpreted in a post-Soviet context. The figures in sailor suits, the classical bust, and the Commedia dell'Arte reference evoke a sense of historical pastiche. Crimea's complex history as a meeting point of cultures and empires, from ancient Greece to the Ottoman Empire to Soviet Russia, is evoked in the photograph. The absurd juxtaposition of elements like the classical bust and the dilapidated pier encourages us to question the grand narratives of history and the ways in which they are used to shape contemporary identities. To fully grasp the meaning of Savadov's photograph, we need to research the history of Crimea and the cultural and political forces that have shaped its identity. This could be done through archival research, historical texts, and analysis of contemporary cultural production.