‘THY EVERY CREATURE ART ON THE EARTH’ by Artyomm Seeela at Plague Space, Krasnodar
Exhibition title: THY EVERY CREATURE ART ON THE EARTH Dates: 13.05 — 17.06.2023 Artist: Artyomm Seeela Venue: Plague Space, Krasnodar, Russia Photo: Vanya Venmer
The proverb “The smart one will not go uphill, the smart one will bypass the mountain” expresses worldly wisdom. And the act of creation is precisely this unreasonable, superfluous act from the point of view of survival. Is it only man who needs to create things that are useless in this respect? Maybe other mammals also have a culture? But we will not reach those hidden places where it is possible and we will not see their art, and even if we do, we will not recognize it. Exploring nature in search of new places for plein air, I found places within the city where, in addition to pawnbrokers and everyone connected with it, I found beaver dwellings. And I discovered that besides utilitarian dams, huts and food, beavers can create figures from wood that are of no use in terms of survival. Can this be considered art? Picasso considered every child an artist, and Beuys established that “every person is an artist and there are no boundaries between life and art.” But does art exist outside of the anthropocentric approach? I have observed six different beaver habitats over the course of four years and have identified some commonalities in what they create. As a result I present this exhibition “THY EVERY CREATURE ART ON THE EARTH”. In this title, I like that the word ART in its Old English reading means “to be”. That is, “Your every creature that exists on Earth.” Art is gone, only life remains.
Exhibition view Exhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Reflections do not always match realityArtyomm Seeela, The Indians prayed to the beavers and made their totemsExhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Who are we to them?Exhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Genetic memory allows us to survive and makes us repeat the same actionsArtyomm Seeela, Genetic memory allows us to survive and makes us repeat the same actionsArtyomm Seeela, Genetic memory allows us to survive and makes us repeat the same actionsArtyomm Seeela, Scheme of location of observation points and sketches of bitesArtyomm Seeela, Scheme of location of observation points and sketches of bitesArtyomm Seeela, Scheme of location of observation points and sketches of bitesExhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Photo collage (photo by @janniszell)Exhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Fell through thin iceArtyomm Seeela, If they recognize us and are afraid, then they can portray usArtyomm Seeela, Hut behind the bus stop in Sadovy village. Canvas. River algae. OilExhibition viewExamples of beaver activityExamples of beaver activityExamples of beaver activityExhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Beaver Wars on Wikipedia. Sample from Big IslandArtyomm Seeela, Beaver Wars on Wikipedia. Sample from Big IslandExhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Results of habitat observation and work from 2020-2022Artyomm Seeela, Results of habitat observation and work from 2020-2022Artyomm Seeela, Results of habitat observation and work from 2020-2022Artyomm Seeela, Results of habitat observation and work from 2020-2022Exhibition viewArtyomm Seeela, Crystal. Sample from the Shumelka River / Branches are divided into two. Sample from Big IslandArtyomm Seeela, Crystal. Sample from the Shumelka River / Branches are divided into two. Sample from Big IslandArtyomm Seeela, Swimming