Karaim Cemetery 2001

Arsen Savadov made this photograph of a Karaim Cemetery, and it’s all about texture. The cool greys of the stone monuments are offset by the browns and ochres of the forest floor. Everything is weathered and mottled, which gives it a kind of melancholic beauty. I’m really interested in the way the monuments lean into each other. There's this sense of precariousness, like everything is about to collapse. It's almost as if the stones themselves are in conversation. Look at the monument in the foreground, covered in moss, the Hebrew lettering faded and worn. It’s a reminder of time's relentless passage, but also of the enduring presence of the past. It reminds me of Caspar David Friedrich, that Romantic painter who was so good at capturing the sublime power of nature and its indifference to human concerns. This photograph isn't just about decay; it's about the ongoing dialogue between nature and culture, memory and oblivion. And about how art helps us see the world in new and unexpected ways.