June July 1983

Oleksandr Aksinin created this ink drawing titled "June July," which prominently features a stylized hand with the index finger pointing upwards. This simple gesture is anything but simple when considering its historical and cultural resonance. Throughout history, the raised index finger has signified many things, from divine unity to authority and guidance. Think of John the Baptist, forever captured in art, pointing towards heaven, urging repentance. Or consider the Roman emperors, their raised hand commanding legions, shaping destinies. But here, the hand is fragmented, inscribed with numbers and mechanical elements. It reminds me of the anatomical studies of Vesalius, but also suggests a machine, a tool. Aksinin lived and worked in Soviet Ukraine, where individuality was often suppressed in favor of the collective. Is this hand a symbol of defiance, a lone voice in a crowd? Or a cog in the machine of the Soviet state? The symbol, like cultural memory itself, is not static. It evolves, acquires new layers, and echoes through time, resonating within the subconscious.