Asya Marakulina

The «Nook» installation was conceived during my three-month residency in France and was implemented immediately after returning home. I was inspired by the FFTN space itself, which is angular and occupies only 4 square meters. An iron bed with a mirror and a sun-shaped grid repeats the angular shape of the space, and the sprouted potatoes seem to be sleeping in toy black clothes... I wanted to create an atmosphere of heavy and endless sleep that draws in and gradually becomes natural. The nook sounds, sings its song. It is the character - abandoned, forgotten and waiting for change. Cramped and shabby, but at the same time the especially charming and even cozy nature of this space largely reflects the situation of art in St. Petersburg and in the whole country. Artists like sprouts make their way through cracks in the asphalt and create their own places where they can freely express themselves and be noticed. They may be small, but alive. My sadness from isolation and hopelessness – together with love for all the participants - concentrated in the three-day installation «Nook».