b. 1988 in Mezinovskiy, Russia

lives and works in Berlin, Germany

 

 

 

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buy images  STOCKSY UNITED 

used to work under the pseudonym Joanna Keler

My artistic practice is based on research and work with a variety of time-based media. In my works, I point out and critically investigate issues which flood and form our everyday life but often go unnoticed. I am especially interested in social dynamics, the formation of perception, and behavior. 

 

Underlying my works is my own experience of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the comprehensive violence and subsequent migration that followed. This past experience led me to reflect on two completely different topics which are inextricably linked for me. The first one is rooted in socio-historical dynamics such as longing for the lost past, the formation of national stereotypes, the role of the authoritarian state in the life of an individual, and the (non)visibility of violence. The second one is rooted in cosmic futurism and the imagining of an utopian future. 

 

Based on my assertion that the personal and the political are intertwined, I put the interaction between piece (or artist) and spectator at the core of my work. I believe that the participative process, like when providing connections to other people and places, gives a strong inducement to reflect on particular issues. To create participation, I use a variety of moving images and installation, site-specific performance, web, and photography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeanna Kolesova 2021