Untitled 2022

Curator: Let’s talk about this Untitled pen and ink drawing by Alevtyna Kakhidze from 2022. Editor: It’s deceptively simple, isn’t it? Two boats drawn with, what looks like, a child’s simplicity. What catches my eye is how one boat is labeled "Russian Culture," being pulled along by another labeled "Ruskyi voennyi korable," and that weird sort of...propeller...connecting them. How do you read a work like this? Curator: Given that Kakhidze made this in 2022, it is impossible to ignore its cultural work given Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. It pushes the boundary between high art and a political cartoon. What I immediately notice are the pens themselves—mass-produced tools readily available, connecting the artwork to larger industries. Editor: Do you see the visual connection as diminishing the granduer of military actions? Curator: It certainly challenges it, especially given the materials. A complex, geopolitically charged event distilled through readily-accessible mediums. This connects the personal and political to the means of dissemination of messaging about this war. It’s the materiality here—the use of such modest, almost disposable materials like felt tip pens—that is critical. How can tools of mass production reflect on issues of power, labor and resources? It asks where are value and truth in contemporary image-making? Editor: I see, so it’s not just about the image itself but about the artist’s decision to use these specific materials to convey a message, challenging traditional ideas about what art should be. Curator: Exactly. We're prompted to think about not just the symbolism of the boats but also about who has access to these means of creation and communication, and what that implies in the context of contemporary conflict. Editor: This piece encourages thinking about the message and the medium conveying the message, blurring art with political critique. Thanks! Curator: Agreed, and hopefully the piece can encourage other artists to make political points, without losing sight of their artistic expression!