Untitled 

Editor: This untitled gouache painting by Ilya Isupov features a peculiar scene: a group of figures seemingly playing with blocks inside what looks like a hollow tooth or maybe a bone. It’s… unsettling and dreamlike. What's your interpretation? Curator: You know, I love that "unsettling" is the first word that sprang to your mind. There’s a definite tension here. A collection of detached bodies enclosed within something that's both protective and constricting. Think of those figures: oblivious in their own world, yet framed, curated almost. What strikes you about their interaction, or lack thereof? Editor: Well, they're all physically present, but absorbed in their own activities. One's on his phone, another is playing with building blocks… there’s almost a sense of isolation, even within the group. Curator: Exactly. Now, consider that donut-headed fellow, reminiscent of Magritte with a side of playful detachment! Isn't it a wonderful contrast—a very adult gathering engaged in childhood games, presided over by that looming…is it an authority figure, that white woman? They seem detached and disconnected, though brought together through space and shared reality.. Or perhaps trapped together? It's as if Isupov invites us to witness some private, odd ritual. He raises interesting questions without giving easy answers, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Absolutely. The setting within that tooth/bone makes the interactions seem almost clinical or observed, instead of lived in and organic. Like specimens under a microscope. Curator: Indeed! And that very sense of clinical detachment allows us to contemplate it all—the playful absurdity, the hidden rules. Isn't art grand that it can make you question, feel uncomfortable, or perhaps, strangely at home, all at once? Editor: This really shifted my perspective! It's not just a weird painting; it's a poignant reflection on connection and isolation in modern life. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. And you know, sometimes the most unsettling art stays with us the longest!