Untitled 2022

Curator: Right, let's dive into this drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze, made in 2022. It’s called "Untitled," and it's created with ink on paper. My first thought? It's like a visual echo of a thought—quick, a little bit absurd, but deeply felt. Editor: Absurd is a kind way of putting it. Immediately I’m struck by its context: "Truly Russian Popular Song." The date is visible on the bottom left corner—March 18th, 2022. A visual diary emerging during a very particular political moment, marked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There is also an expression with the same writing: “Ogon I Spla”. Curator: Exactly. The title is what grabbed me, too, alongside with this handwritten quality, the seemingly random elements floating around… a face, a speech bubble, and symbols. It feels like flipping through someone's sketchbook where language and image playfully intersect. The “face” appears to be singing into a bubble including these various song names, if I’m not mistaken. Editor: Precisely. I can feel echoes of feminist and anti-war sentiments from Kakhidze—her way of registering daily life during a political tragedy in Ukraine, in the intersectional, critical and geopolitical realm. She highlights propaganda and the absurd theatricality that shapes social perceptions of political narratives. It feels poignant, a silent scream, an elegy. Curator: I hear that completely. And yet, within that elegy, there is a touch of the surreal, almost humorous juxtaposition of everyday language with the heavy subject matter that it echoes… This makes me think about memory, about how we hold onto these fragmented bits and pieces and how that shapes our personal narrative of the “big” picture, our experience, and response to tragedy. Editor: I appreciate that you used the term "humorous." Yes, this illustration provides a space to challenge propaganda's power structures, providing both awareness and strength to combat war sentiments—precisely through humour! I imagine we could all relate. I will reflect more on it, this "Untitled". Curator: Definitely a lasting artwork... I, too, will meditate on it. Thanks for such an insightful discussion.