A.P. Garden 2018

Curator: This is Pavlo Makov's "A.P. Garden," created in 2018 using ink and pen on paper. It's a drawing, quite striking in its detail. Editor: Whoa. My first thought? It feels like a forbidden city blueprint or even some topographic rendering of an undiscovered galaxy. I’m really pulled in by the textures and its slightly melancholic, muted palette. Curator: It resonates deeply, doesn't it? Considering Makov's Ukrainian background, particularly his experiences living through sociopolitical upheavals, one could interpret the 'garden' as a contested space. We should contextualize its formal geometry. Perhaps it represents the tensions between imposed structures and organic, lived environments? The ordering is almost a militarization. Editor: Militarization, that's a great point. I didn't see that so overtly at first, but it definitely does feel that way now that you mention it! Though, thinking more poetically, there’s a push and pull between order and chaos. Gardens themselves can be strictly regimented or grow a bit wild. It sparks questions. Like, is this order imposed or intentionally cultivated? What type of yield is the garden providing and who's allowed access? Curator: Absolutely, the idea of "access" is crucial here. Thinking about it intersectionally, it raises questions of power dynamics. How are resources distributed within this 'garden'? Who decides what grows and who benefits? Are the planned elements, so to speak, reflective of control? It prompts reflection on societal planning and equitable distribution. Editor: It almost makes me want to unearth the history of my own garden or community in a similarly critical way, to map out who had their hands in the soil and who was excluded. I suppose I was a little swept up by the aesthetic at first, I appreciate the contextual unpacking! Curator: Precisely. Even the seemingly innocuous becomes a site of profound meaning when considered through a critical, historical lens. Art helps us excavate layers. Editor: Totally, makes you wonder what the gardens of the future will look like after us.