Untitled 2022

Curator: Here we have "Untitled" by Alevtyna Kakhidze, created in 2022. It's a double-page drawing in ink on paper, like an open notebook or journal. What strikes you immediately? Editor: It's so immediate, raw almost, like a direct glimpse into someone's mind. The handwritten text mixed with those almost childlike figures… It has this yearning quality. Curator: Yearning, yes, I agree. The composition on the left features a self-portrait, paired with political commentary that challenges us to read the drawing in layers, literally and metaphorically. Notice how the words 'A Nobel Prize cannot be revoked - sadly' is scrawled on the left. The Russian words in combination with English remind me of my grandfather writing letters between continents to my grandmother back in his home village. Editor: The semiotics of the piece are fascinating. You've got the visual language of the sketch—very pared down, almost urgent—contrasting with the textual elements. There's English, what appears to be Russian, creating a polyglot narrative that feels both deeply personal and broadly resonant. The red ink seems very charged, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Absolutely. It's an emotional emphasis. For me, the two sides of the page echo each other: a self-portrait next to Joseph Brodsky, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. So the self asks the question, what are we losing when our values are displaced. And you can’t help but ask yourself: can the establishment revoke truth from what we already know? Editor: The layout really drives that tension home. On the one hand, you have the relatively contained portrait. Then, opposite, a more dispersed collection of images and phrases. It emphasizes the subjective, fragmented nature of memory and opinion. It brings a narrative about identity, memory, and values in resistance. Curator: Ultimately, what I love about this work is its unapologetic honesty and, quite literally, it asks you to engage in its language. The viewer becomes a co-conspirator in a moment of vulnerability and observation. It makes me think about our responsibility to bear witness. Editor: Yes, there's a bravery in laying bare such raw emotion. And that's what gives it power. For the viewer, perhaps it's that glimpse into another person's struggle that evokes self-reflection.