Came from the sea

The exposition introduces the viewer to the most ancient period of the Earth’s development – from its formation until the end of the Paleozoic era. Nowadays, the climate change and the reformation of the continents are worrying more and more people including researchers, scientists and, of course, artists, who have realized themselves as direct participants of these processes. These concerned people have been working on the exhibition for four years.

The exhibition consists of several parts. It is based on black and white images combining photography and graphic art, connecting two moments of time on the same plane. They were created by photographer Natalya Podunova and artist Anastasia Rostova. The photos were taken with the help of a special lens – a monocle. The graphic images were made using various graphic materials and techniques, such as sepia, coal, paper, cardboard, and computer graphics. Photographs as documentary evidence of facts do not raise any doubt and at first glance, they seem authentic. However, the photos take the viewer into the game. If you look closely, you can notice unfamiliar objects, and the longer you look, the more details and associations will show up.

The disappearance of the Aral Sea and eventual disappearance of the Dead Sea in the near future concerns people: the usual way of life is changing, familiar economic models are threatened, and the influence of religions encourages dystopian sentiments. We wanted to look much further than the existence of people on Earth and even further than dinosaurs. Our story is about the eras of thalassocracy, the times of sea domination, and geocracy, which comes to replace them – the domination of mountains.

Other objects of the exhibition are described in detail on the website http://en.natashapodunova.com/#!/came-from-the-sea-explication

The exhibition premiered at the Yeltsin center Art gallery, Yekaterinburg, Russia, in February 2020

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