Underground 2000

Arsen Savadov invites us into a subterranean world, using photography to capture a staged scene of both the sacred and the mundane. The cavernous space feels infinite, the walls marked by the relentless passage of time. In the foreground, a bed sits incongruously on the rough ground, a stark reminder of our human need for rest and comfort amidst the grand scale of nature. Further back, figures gather in what appears to be a scene of worship, juxtaposed with other objects of domestic life. I am drawn to the figure climbing the ladder. It’s a moment of ascent, both literal and metaphorical, hinting at the spiritual journey we all undertake, one step at a time. The composition is unexpected, creating a tension between the real and the surreal, the earthly and the divine. It reminds me a little of Jeff Wall, in his carefully composed photographs, but with a distinctly Eastern European sensibility. What does it all mean? I am not sure. Art is a conversation, not a lecture.