BAIKAL BLUES

Irkutsk, Russia 2021

The work on a long-term project about Russian urban culture led me to Irkutsk, a large city on Lake Baikal in the south of Siberia. In times without a rampant pandemic, the city is full of tourists and life. Due to rising incidences, social and cultural life was reduced to a minimum. The city wrapped itself in a combination of serenity and melancholy. The feeling of being stuck in a transit area spread among the population.

This sensation, exacerbated by COVID-19, well describes the state of the country. Many people – especially the young generation – are waiting for a change. But true progress is being blocked by a political system, which is becoming increasingly authoritarian towards any opposition.

With the aggressive and senseless war against Ukraine, the Putin regime has not only isolated Russia internationally, but also created a climate of fear and helplessness in its own country. The dividing lines run between state and society, through generations, families and friends. Criticism is not tolerated; the development of a civil society is not possible anymore. People retreat into the private sphere, and the atomization of society is the silent consequence.

EXHIBITIONS
2023 - VOR ORT, Mannheimer Kunstverein [group exhibition]
2023 - Street Sans Frontieres, Galerie Joseph, Paris [group exhibition]
2022 - OSTOST, in:between pop-up Gallery, Mannheim [group exhibition]