Flying Pilgrim 1997

Editor: Here we have Oleh Denysenko's "Flying Pilgrim," created in 1997 using pen and ink. The meticulous linework gives the figure such an elaborate, almost mechanical presence. What strikes me most is how this 'pilgrim' seems burdened, not freed, by all this elaborate gear. What stands out to you? Curator: It's the density of that "gear," as you call it, that is fascinating. Look at how the artist has assembled this figure using found objects or repurposed technology of his time. The bicycle wheels at the base, the clockwork mechanisms embedded within the armor—they speak to a specific moment of material culture. Editor: So, it's less about a spiritual journey and more about a physical, perhaps even industrial, one? Curator: Precisely. This figure is defined by its construction, the labor and materials that went into its creation. The pen and ink themselves become part of that narrative; each stroke a deliberate act of making and accumulation. What do you make of the inscription "In Arte Libertas?" Editor: “In Art, Freedom.” Is the artist perhaps questioning whether true freedom is possible even within the act of creation, if one is limited to the materials and resources available? Curator: Yes, or even more pointedly, highlighting the economic and societal factors that always constrain even the most seemingly "free" artistic expression. The means of production, the available materials—these always dictate the possibilities, don't they? Editor: It's a powerful statement, looking at it that way. I initially saw a fantastical being, but now I see the very real limitations inherent in artistic creation and, maybe, life itself. Curator: Indeed. By foregrounding the materials and methods, Denysenko reveals the hidden structures that shape our world.