bronze, h-210 cm
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When talking about the war in our country, I don’t mean just the act of war as such, but also the images and narratives that I am now groping for. I don’t think anybody can estimate the extent of its destructive effects or the date of its ending with any degree of accuracy, but it seems appropriate to document its effect and to describe the state into which the war is remoulding our society.
Social documentation of these changes is all we can talk about now. The flames of war, after all, change us into different people: initially scared and shocked, we have become mobilized and efficient, often devastated but still capable of overcoming our fears and with full faith in ourselves. As everything changes, a dense sediment forms. We witness the anthropologic mixing of our nation into a new fusion.
This show marks the beginning of my new series, entitled Fusion. These sculptures are made of bronze, a colored alloy of several metals. Continuing my method of working with “reverse volume” or counterforms, I reveal human figures by making them collide with the masses of molten metal enveloping them.
I chose the method that allows me to document the outlines and spaces around people through sculptural forms, giving me an opportunity to reflect on the nature and properties of our environment in these difficult times. I explore the relations between people and their surroundings, tackling the issue of personal freedom during military aggression and information campaigns.
I see this series of sculptures not as independent works but as a process of revelation, a tool that helps me to document dynamic interactions of an individual with the changing environment. The human shapes at the center of these sculptures are devoid of recognizable individual features, and that was a conscious choice. These images are universal prototypes I created with virtual modeling software. These are prototype personalities that have every possibility and dynamic of change open to them. Much like in quantum mechanics, a neutral image carries all possible potentialities that can come into being depending on circumstances, the environment and the surrounding space.
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Nazar Bilyk