Untitled 2022

Editor: Here we have Alevtyna Kakhidze's "Untitled" from 2022, created with ink on what looks like a sketchbook spread. It feels whimsical, yet the imagery has a certain weight. What do you see in this piece, particularly from a materialist perspective? Curator: This piece, like much of Kakhidze's work, makes visible the usually unseen labor and systems of power. We see a child quite literally pulling the weight of a massive crown, likely a commentary on the material extraction, resource management, and societal burden required to sustain systems of authority. Note the very humble materials: simple paper, perhaps easily obtained; common ink. Editor: So you are seeing a commentary on power structures embedded in the chosen medium? Curator: Precisely. The accessibility of these materials is in sharp contrast to the idea of a bejeweled, precious crown. The crown, an archetypal signifier, becomes almost farcical in its dependency on labor and, one could argue, a system of oppression to physically move the Imperial symbol. Also, the adult figures ignoring this obvious labor are, likewise, symbolic. Who do they represent? Editor: Perhaps those complicit or willfully ignorant of the systems in place? It’s fascinating how much is conveyed with such seemingly simple materials and drawing style. The starkness, almost rawness, amplifies the message about exploitative labour, the cost for a few to claim imperial dominance, materially speaking. Curator: Yes. The means of production – the child pulling the load – *is* the message. Editor: I’ve learned that even the simplest sketchbook work can speak volumes about socio-economic systems. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. Reflect on who has access to such materials to convey what meaning and why they seek this vehicle.