Curatorial notes
Editor: Here we have "AUNT FROM POLUDNIVKA (diptych)", a mixed-media piece created in 2016 by Babak-Matveev. The composition is quite striking, contrasting two versions of a portrait: one aged and monochromatic, the other vividly colored. What symbolic weight do you see in this diptych? Curator: This work acts as a powerful conduit, connecting us to inherited cultural memory. The juxtaposition immediately signals a dialogue between past and present, tradition and modernity. Consider the repeated image—the face itself. What does the act of repetition do to its symbolic value? Editor: I suppose it emphasizes both the continuity of the person, but also how time and perception can dramatically alter our understanding of someone. Curator: Precisely. The face, adorned with contemporary piercings, overlaid on what appears to be an aging photograph evokes layers of meaning. What do piercings usually symbolize, particularly in contrast with the traditional headscarf? Editor: Defiance, perhaps? Individuality? Curator: Indeed, but look closer. It's a defiant individualism placed directly onto an older image. It questions our pre-conceived notions about identity across generations. This echoes themes common in Eastern European cultures grappling with rapid change. Does that tension between honoring and reinventing the past resonate with you? Editor: Definitely! It’s made me think about how symbols aren’t fixed; they evolve with cultural shifts. Curator: Absolutely. The artist makes us acutely aware of the evolution – and even potential clash – of cultural symbols and what it means to carry both our past and our present with us.