Marina Alexeeva: Habitats: Semiotics of Hope(less)

26 Apr-10 May 2023

PV 25 Apr 2023, 6-9pm

Credit: Marina Alexeeva / Shtager&Shch

Overview

Shtager&Shch is pleased to announce the gallery's re-opening and Marina Alexeeva's first solo exhibition in the UK.

Adopting digital technology as part of her fine art practice since the late 1990s, the Russian artist investigates the interface between virtual and physical realities. 'Habitats' features five 'lifebox' micro-installations with a focus on the UK that were developed exclusively for Shtager&Shch. 

Evolved from the European traditions of model making and puppetry, the digitally animated scenes depict aspects of absurdity in contemporary life. The selection for 'Habitats' includes tongue-in-cheek references to Alexeeva's interpretation of 'Britishness', political and moral conduct set in domestic, business or recreational environments,

The interactive presentations are complemented by a recent series of surrealist prompt cards. Drawings of commonplace objects are symbolically cancelled using English and Russian language to question the ethics of a post-truth reality manipulated by AI-driven algorithms and deep fakes. 

Marina Alexeeva (b. 1959) is a Russian new-media artist whose work challenges the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. Her practice encompasses a range of media, including interactive installations, virtual and augmented reality experiences, video art, soundscapes, and drawing.

Please read ArtFocus Now review here

Please read the exhibition text by curator Denis Maksimov-Gupta here

Artists