Gerasim Kuznetsov. "Snowflakes" Automatic translate

“Oh, a snowflake driven by the wind!
Your name is not known
The form is immortal. "

(Dogen)

The new project of Gerasim Kuznetsov was inspired by events of three years ago - a protest rally of prisoners in correctional colony IK-6 in the city of Kopeisk, Chelyabinsk Region (Russian Federation, planet Earth, 21 century from R.Kh.).

On November 24, 2012, prisoners IK-6, according to various sources, from several hundred to a thousand, went on strike in protest against torture, bullying and extortion by the prison administration. The prisoners climbed onto the roof of one of the buildings, as well as on the technological tower of the woodworking workshop, where they hung up homemade slogans: “The administration extorts $”, “Torture, humiliate”, “Us 1,500 people”, “People, help!”, Visible from territory of the colony. It was on the "parent" day. Relatives and friends of the prisoners, worried about their life and health, tried to come to the rescue, but were dispersed by riot police.

People remained in the cold for almost two days, refusing to eat and go into residential areas, demanding justice. After investigators from the Center arrived in the zone, the protesters left the roof and tower and returned to their units. This story received a great public response and attracted the attention of not only full-time investigators, but also human rights activists.

A public investigation conducted by the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society revealed cases of systematic extortion, torture and bullying, and other conceivable and unimaginable violations. (The Council’s report has been published, it can and should probably be found on the network.) Based on the results of the public and staff investigation, 15 senior officers of the colony were brought to disciplinary action. The head of IK-6 was found guilty of abuse of power and received three years in prison on probation.

In parallel with this emotional story, taken from real life, the artist builds his narrative, living according to the inhuman laws of the development of form. Video and photo chronicle of events two years ago makes a formal cycle: it transforms into painting, then into another painting, then into prints, objects, etc., and finally back to videos and screenshots. Moreover, the principle of a microscope used by Kuznetsov demonstrates the inexhaustibility of the form.

In a sense, this project is about the relationship between the ethical and the aesthetic. As you know, the ancients often equated the good and the beautiful, the evil and the ugly. But over time, this harmonious belief system began to fall apart. Key questions: what does it change? And how today an artist can cause mercy to the fallen?