Photo Olesya Gumenenko, Polina Varnerr
In the frames, I present a multilayered image where photographs of the traces on my body take the foreground, while behind them, faintly visible, are texts from my dream diary, all connected by the theme of "fixation, impossibility, and limitations."
In this project, I delve into the concept of defense mechanisms. Anticathexis, in this context, is the process where repressed and suppressed thoughts, ideas, and desires attempt to resurface from the unconscious but encounter resistance of equal strength, acting in the opposite direction. Translated into the physical world, it essentially mirrors Newton’s Third Law (every action has an equal and opposite reaction).
In my daily life, I stricly follow to rules—I always fasten my seatbelt. This fact became the foundation of the project. I created a 13-meter-long seatbelt and performed a piece: in an awkward and absurd position, I wrapped myself in the long belt. It was important for me to physically experience this process, moving from fixation to release and ending up at the aftermath of "defense"—the traces on my body, as manifestations of trauma.
In my daily life, I stricly follow to rules—I always fasten my seatbelt. This fact became the foundation of the project. I created a 13-meter-long seatbelt and performed a piece: in an awkward and absurd position, I wrapped myself in the long belt. It was important for me to physically experience this process, moving from fixation to release and ending up at the aftermath of "defense"—the traces on my body, as manifestations of trauma.
In my practice, I often work with themes of limitations, norms, and rules. Reflecting on why I am drawn to these topics, I decided to look in the opposite direction: is there a space without limitations?
To me, dreams represent a realm where protective barriers are lowered, where defensive mechanisms are no longer needed, and the repressed elements of the psyche emerge from the unconscious. Since 2015, I have been keeping a dream journal, regularly making notes. However, I often cannot confidently distinguish what occurred in a dream from what are actual memories. My existence feels like a collage of fragmented memories from states of wakefulness and sleep.
To me, dreams represent a realm where protective barriers are lowered, where defensive mechanisms are no longer needed, and the repressed elements of the psyche emerge from the unconscious. Since 2015, I have been keeping a dream journal, regularly making notes. However, I often cannot confidently distinguish what occurred in a dream from what are actual memories. My existence feels like a collage of fragmented memories from states of wakefulness and sleep.
Main Ingredients, Cube, Moscow, 2024
Installation, 2024
Photo Darya Kazakova
Photo Kristina Ivanova
Main Ingredients, Cube, Moscow, 2024
Anticathexis. Dreams
Main Ingredients, Cube, Moscow, 2024
