Assemblage
27 Jan, 2022
Starting from the image of Daphne turning into a laurel tree, Anastasia Bogomolova moves ancient plot to the world existing at the stage of cultural and natural half-life. In "Assemblage" the conventional figure of the nymph becomes the embodiment of an obsessive state to escape into the forest – a place that is mistakenly perceived to be abandoned but turns out to be the ruins of civilization, where unpredictable intraspecific contacts take place. Visually, the project is divided into two parts. In the first, the artist explores forest landscapes next to well-trodden paths, which look wildly in the images. In photographic performances there the human body is subordinated to the logic of a forest or bushes. The second part, created in the studio, utilizes natural materials. Collected in various ecological niches, they combined into assemblages on the human body — possible or unattainable ones. Dry branches seem to be new limbs, lichens and mosses grow through the skin, rough bark tightens the injuries. Illuminated with bright contrasting colours, these hybrids look like jewellery pieces or futuristic modifications of a body striving to move beyond the dichotomy of nature and culture.
Anastasia Bogomolova is an artist and researcher working with performative practices and documenting the process in installations, photography, sculptures, video, sound, and text. In her projects, Anastasia turns to the imitation of everyday rituals and studies mimicry as a theme, method and visual language. Her research also focuses on the flexible nature of memory and oblivion, the depiction of traces in the landscape and the boundaries of the documentary. Born in 1985 in Kazakhstan. Graduated from Chelyabinsk State University in 2007. In 2012–2014 studied educational programs in the FotoDepartament Foundation (St. Petersburg). Anastasia is a winner of The Credit Suisse and Cosmoscow Art Prize for Young Artists (Russia, 2016), winner of The Garage Museum's Grant Program (Russia, 2017, 2018), winner of Nova Art Contest for emerging artists (2021). Nominee for The Kandinsky Prize („The Young artist. Project of the Year“, Russia, 2017) and The Sergey Kuryokhin Award („Best visual art project“, Russia, 2018). Participant of artist-in-residence programs in Switzerland (supported by Pro Helvetia, PROGR, Bern, 2019) and Russia (the Shishim Hill, Ekaterinburg, 2020).Â