IZOLYATSIA supports young Ukrainian artists

From October, 20^th to December, 23^th IZOLYATSIA takes part in the Spheres 5 – a group exhibition project, which annually gathers artists from around the world at the Le Moulin gallery in the suburb of Paris, during the FIAC.

Setting the goal to develop an artistic environment in Ukraine and support young Ukrainian artists IZOLYATSIA not only provides its recourses to organize projects on its territory but also helps Ukrainian artists to get an access to the world art scene and participate in important world-class art events.

To participate in the Spheres 5 exhibition, IZOLYATSIA has chosen Zhanna Kadyrova as one of the most interesting young Ukrainian artists. Zhanna has developed a recognazable visual language by making sculptures, installations and interventions in the city space from tile, cement, foam and other different materials used for construction works. Within the Le Moulin IZOLYATSIA helps Zhanna to create variations of her three well-known projects “Brilliants”, “Invisible Forms” and “Filling In”. Their distinctive feature is the fact that all projects have been created at Le Moulin which exhibition halls are located in a former paper factory.

The Kadyrova\'s visiting card – the “Brilliants” project – represents big cement forms reminiscent of the most typical cuts of jewels lined with glossy tiles. Her “Brilliants” is an extreme example of a metaphorical transformation of utilitarian material into a precious object and her ironical comment about the state of affairs in the modern consumer society. The “Brilliants” project is placed in the oldest part of Le Moulin. Medieval arches like antique cages with hidden treasures emphasize the status of a modern “treasure”.

In general the artist appeals to a household theme in other sculptures transforming banal everyday things as a pack of cigarettes, sticks for mixing sugar in coffee, trash bags, candy wrappers into large-scale sculptural tiled objects, thereby making fun of the everydayness and vulgar components in a modern life.

The next Kadyrova’s works are united in an “Invisible Forms” series and based on a transformation of something invisible and ephemeral into its opposite, massy and encumbering space. The artist shapes light rays by modeling them from cement. All stuff like lamps, videocameras, headlights, security cameras radiates light rays which are rarely registered by our consciousness. However this invisibility is quite imaginary, because in reality these tools interfere in our life with meaningful consequences varied from lighting of dark spaces to menacing interferences in a private life. Tiny corridors of the antique factory dispose to such cement interventions by Kadyrova. They literally block up passageways and prevent motion thereby accentuating the relentless presence of “invisible forms”.

Continuing the metaphor of “invisible forms” Kadyrova once again uses her indicative material – tiles – to fill vessels normally used for water. From outside glossing tiles look like a reflective film made on a surface of some oily liquid. Such visual illusions mislead viewers.  Thereby, artist inverts the typical sequence of events in her “Filling In” installation and constructs the magical transformation of an outward container (the tiles) and its inside filling (liquid). The enameled dishes and vessels were bought in local antiquarian shops which situated around the Paris suburb.  The linkage to a local context redeploys the installation from an artistic game with a form to the cultural-historical dimention. A small “Banquet” completes the idea of the “Filling In” project – 200 paper glasses with small round pieces of tiles inside look like glasses with vine. In such a metaphorical way the artist invites viewers to take a portion of art.