IN BETWEEN

Thoughts about the future can be one of the most frightening aspects of our lives.

Our future is comprised of our present and past, including our hopes, fears, illusions, and delusions. We never know which of these elements will ultimately prevail. Embarking on an adventure requires delving deep into our consciousness in the hope of discovering answers about life.

"In-Between" consists of two independent exhibitions that are strongly connected by meaning but communicate differently with the audience.

Upon entering the exhibition, the viewer is immersed in the world of the artist Daniil Vasiliev. In his works, tenderness is intertwined with brutality, childhood memories interact with contemplations of the future, and mystical and fantastical elements coexist with realism. We find ourselves submerged in Vasiliev's artistic universe.

A palette of subdued yet powerful colors enables us to grasp the artist's mindset and his quest for a place in this world, both geographically and philosophically. Large canvases afford the author the opportunity to recreate his worlds in all their diversity. Clear figures from the past coexist with a hazy and barely visible future. It's challenging to discern whether the artist's thoughts reside in the past, the future, or somewhere in between, outside of our reality. Daniil's work was showcased in the esteemed Russian Museum, "The Marble Palace," as part of the "Generation 30" exhibition in 2022.

The visitor's journey continues in the space created by Dmitrii Khramov and Maria Khramov, where everything seems notably more real after the ethereal world of Vasiliev. With this works they present their interpretation of a potential future and an assumed past.

At the heart of the exhibition lies an installation of 36 rugged slate stones arranged in a clear, defined structure. Cables from the ceiling connect these stones to other installations, creating a unified room-wide installation.

In this space, the visitor finds themselves immersed in a world of patterns and textures. This world is shaped by the artists' personal memories, thoughts, hopes, and fears, all interwoven with the experiences of the viewers.

Is this a new world emerging after the demise of the previous one, or a glimpse of our old world before it fell into ruin?

As Dmitrii and Maria describe it: "A moment before the collision with Eternity, Life unfurls and blossoms. Stones, representing the Earth, and Matter break through space, seeming to freeze at different heights before meeting the black mirror. What awaits beyond? Another life. The Dream of Stones and Cities, a world beyond humanity. We are their dream."

In these installations that fill the room, destinies, memories, places, and cities are intricately intertwined. Heavy objects made of stone, wood, or metal serve as gateways into the artists' minds. However, these objects aren't the primary attraction; it's the light used by the artists in their installations, which in turn creates video artworks with the collaboration of Daria Smakhtina co-founder of ἐphemera ONE studio as well as Artem Sukhih which created all the sounds system for the installation.

When the viewer diverts their gaze from the stones, they realize that the room is suffused with this light, instilling hope for the future. The identical installation has garnered significant recognition by winning the prestigious Laguna Prize in Venice in 2022 and the Bolzano Art Week Award in 2023. It’s unveiled for the first time in a contemporary art gallery.

None of the artists possesses definitive answers about the future, but together with the viewers, they embark on a journey to seek those answers, immersing everyone in an alternate reality.