Central Exhibition Hall, St Petersburg
07/08/1999 - 15/08/1999
For the 4th St. Petersburg Biennial. PRAVDA means truth in Russian
Performed by Vitaly Kononov and Emmanuelle Waeckerlé
Starting from the Russian translation of the two words HOME and HOLE and using the same rigorous language of simple mathematical equations and diagrams than in the TRUCE project, the two words are deconstructed and reconstructed into a series of wise Russian truths.
The installation
- TRUCE and PRAVDA artists books presented on music stands. 20 pages each of diagrams text and holes lovingly perforated by the artist.
- 4 diagrams of mathematical equations revealing the whole process of translation and deconstruction.
- 2 piles of 5000 words each, individually cut out and printed on both sides; one pile of HOME/DOM (home in Russian) one pile of HOLE/DIRA (hole in Russian).
The performance
A dialogue between languages, exploring words and their meaning in between private and public space.
A Russian speaking man Vitaly Kononov and an English speaking woman, myself, undertake a live ‘reading’ of the 2 books. Using stillness and movement, distance, closeness and also repetition, each voice is responding to the other in a semi-improvised manner. The performance lasts approximately thirty minutes.
Won first prize for both performance and installation of the 4th St. Petersburg Biennial.
Review by INFO TV, TV CULTURA, St Petersburg.
Review by Roxanne Permar, Artist Newsletter (January 2000).