Untitled 2022

Curator: Look at this ink drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze, simply titled "Untitled," from 2022. What strikes you? Editor: Its starkness, definitely. The lines are so economical, almost rudimentary, yet they convey such a palpable sense of tension. And that bold red—it cuts right through the composition. Curator: Kakhidze made this drawing using pen and ink. It’s part of a larger body of work reflecting on displacement, war, and cultural identity, particularly related to the war and refugees coming from Ukraine. What do you make of its political content? Editor: The linework, I think, amplifies the feeling of fragility. The rawness lends authenticity to the scene. See how the bodies are rendered – simplified, almost childlike. Are we meant to see a broader, more universal struggle embedded in these individual depictions? Curator: Perhaps. Kakhidze is very engaged with the politics of representation and who gets to tell these stories. You see how she is exploring language—erasing the words ‘refugee’ and ‘dissident,’ replacing them with ‘economic migrant.’ It challenges the viewer to consider these labels. The handwritten notes point to how asylum seekers and refugees from certain parts of the world are treated when attempting to immigrate. Editor: Absolutely, the script becomes almost like a visual element alongside the figures. The title, "The Conversation in Brussels," situates this dialogue within the institutional setting of EU policy-making, adding another layer of critical commentary. Curator: Right. This isn't just a drawing about personal experience; it's a commentary on the socio-political framing of migration, as filtered and experienced in EU contexts. Editor: In essence, it seems that the composition embodies a feeling of uncomfortable observation. Curator: Exactly, there are layers of political messaging interwoven into deceptively simple rendering. Editor: An excellent commentary.