Dandelion or Mapa Mundi (colour insert from Abracadabra) 2020

Editor: We’re looking at Pavlo Makov’s “Dandelion or Mapa Mundi (colour insert from Abracadabra)” from 2020. It's a mixed-media piece with this whimsical, almost fantastical landscape vibe. I’m struck by the repetition of house-like forms on these plant stems... How should we interpret these visual motifs? Curator: This “dandelion” reveals Makov's keen interest in the materials that constitute our living spaces, both natural and artificial. Note how he deliberately conflates organic structures – the dandelion, leaves – with standardized architectural modules or even circuitry. Consider what the implications of presenting homes, shelters reduced to a bare structural component, growing on a plant like fruit! Is this image a hopeful portrayal of nature reclaiming these shelters or an illustration of production as artificial propagation? Editor: That's a great way to put it! When you look at the process behind it, does the title provide any insight? Is Makov drawing a parallel between the way a dandelion spreads its seeds and the global proliferation of…well, *stuff*? Curator: Precisely! “Mapa Mundi” hints at this intention to highlight planetary networks and worldwide distribution – we cannot ignore this work's commentary on late-stage capitalism and hyper-commodification, a consequence of global systems of labor that stretches and distorts the earth, even though at a first glance it seems organic. Editor: So, the mixed media reflects a mixing of human impact on landscapes... Curator: Exactly, and this juxtaposition invites reflection. What materials comprise our environment and what actions produced them? Consider too: Are we nurturing a landscape or are we building upon a field of ruins? Editor: It’s fascinating to consider the material origins and implications. I’ll never look at a dandelion the same way. Curator: Nor will I. Art helps us observe critically that which may feel ordinary.