Irina Korina, photo by Jonas Holthaus
Site of artistic clampdowns and political repression, Moscow nevertheless possesses a vibrant art scene, where artists examine new strategies of dissent. Seasoned curator David Elliott, organiser of “Balagan!!! Contemporary Art from the former Soviet Union and other Mythical Places” currently on view at Kühlhaus berlin am Gleisdreieck gallery, presents three participating artists.
Irina Korina, Chapel, 2013-2014, Site-specific installation, metal, wood, fabric, plastic, 460 x 460 x 600 cm Courtesy XL Gallery, Moscow
The work of 38-year-old Moscow native Irina Korina consists of installations made out of found materials from Russian homes, referencing the country’s modern political realities.
In 2014’s “Infographics”, wall-mounted roundels featuring fragments of brightly coloured textiles resemble pie charts detailing the growing wealth inequality among a number of disenfranchised and minority Russian groups. “Society here has changed a lot,” she says. “There’s a lot of fear and unrest, and questions concerning freedom and power have become much more common. Amid this, it sometimes seems as if questions associated with the marketplace and the everyday are not so topical.”
Korina’s art inhabits precisely this space between economic concerns and existential anxiety. Her site-specific installation “Chapel”, which was shown at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2013, examined the uncritical transition in Russia from socialism to religion, as well as the privatisation of public assets that occurred following 1991. The design of the chapel’s stained glass is foreboding, lending it a cultish atmosphere, and its erratic, angular shapes act as reminders of the carve up of the state after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Korina also work as a stage designer, working with famous theatrical companies including Putincritics Teatr.doc as well as established groups such as the Taganka and Moscow Arts theatres. This career has also influenced her art practice, in which she meticulously rehearses and revises, like a performance. “I like to plan my work for a long time and then change everything at the last minute,” she says. “It drives my curators crazy. I have doubts about everything.”
Irina Korina is represented by XL Gallery www.xlgallery.ru
Irina Korina was featured as a “One to Watch” in Sleek issue #47, which can be purchased on our online shop today