Project
SMOG WE ARE is a curatorial narrative that unfolds the story of Nickel, a town situated closest to the Norwegian border in Russia. The town's existence revolves around a mine factory that was established 80 years ago, resulting in a persistent presence of smog within the cityscape. However, three years ago, the factory ceased its operations, prompting a significant shift in the town's dynamics. As a consequence, some residents began to migrate to other locations in search of employment opportunities, leading to a gradual reduction in both smog levels and the town's population. This curatorial exploration delves into the intricate interplay between industrialization, environmental impact, and the resulting socio economic changes, offering a thought-provoking perspective on the evolving landscape of Nickel.
Idea
We are on the verge of changes and we would like to pictorialise this moment.
The project encompasses four significant elements: "We are the life," "We are the legends," "We are the way," and "We are the city." Each of these elements holds profound significance within the fabric of a small industrial settlement. Through the collective vision of five talented artists - Anfisa Shemetova, Daria Yaromenok, Anton River, Dmitriy Borisov and Kostya Gladkov - the exhibition offers a captivating exploration of Nickel's past and present. The SMOG project at Hammerfest will feature the incorporation of video and photo materials from Stellaris Dance Theatre, as they have collaborated extensively with artists from Nickel on numerous projects. Under the expert curation of Sasha Kremenets, the exhibition provides a curated experience that invites viewers to delve into the multifaceted narratives and perspectives that shape the essence of this industrial community.
Team
Daria Yaromenok
Art objects and ceramics
My name is Dasha, I am a ceramic artist from Moscow. Despite the distance, I have been to Nickel many times and have done two art projects in the town. The first one, jointly with Ekaterina Zhingel, was called "Presence/Absence" and was dedicated to the residents of Nickel. The second, already only mine, «Still Life» — consisted of apartment houses, sculpted by the children of Nickel under my guidance.
Both times I talked a lot with people and enjoyed conducting master classes in ceramics. Nickel is not just a word for me — it is a city that is associated with many memories, important and interesting meetings and, of course, the first acquaintance with the North. I continue to closely monitor his fate even from thousands kilometers away.
At the exhibition you can see my work "Seeing the Sun" — porcelain flowers sprouting from a rough and seemingly lifeless rock. The image embedded in this object does not require additional decryption. Sometimes we are stronger than it seems and are able to change the world around us.
Both times I talked a lot with people and enjoyed conducting master classes in ceramics. Nickel is not just a word for me — it is a city that is associated with many memories, important and interesting meetings and, of course, the first acquaintance with the North. I continue to closely monitor his fate even from thousands kilometers away.
At the exhibition you can see my work "Seeing the Sun" — porcelain flowers sprouting from a rough and seemingly lifeless rock. The image embedded in this object does not require additional decryption. Sometimes we are stronger than it seems and are able to change the world around us.
Anton River
Photographer, videographer, sound artist
My name is Anton River. I work with sound and participate in this project to enhance the atmosphere of the exhibition with the help of music, noise and the voices of the Nickel citizens. Creating this sound art, I was inspired by the history of Nickel, its present, the plant, nature, as well as the question of its future.
Kosta Gladkov
Designer, artist
I have been traveling around The North for several years and creating creative projects about Russian culture, studying modernity and the process of rethinking and the influence of history on the present. I have been to Nickel several times and this city is at the same time absolutely identical to the place where I was born and grew up, and on the other hand it is a very distant point on the map from my hometown that has a completely different history. I am interested in exploring this city and creating something with it.
Anfisa Shemetova
Photographer
My name is Anfisa and I am a photographer. My favorite direction in photography is a portrait. I will never cease to be surprised at how much a person's eyes can say. It so happened that years later I returned to my beloved village again. But the time that the residents of Nikel are experiencing now is not at all simple, because the city-forming plant has stopped its work. This event has two sides, on the one hand, unemployment and outflow of population, on the other hand, clean air and regenerating nature. Everyone will decide which side is closer to him, but while we are still here, I would like to show you what interesting people live in Nickel, how much each person means to each other, and especially for such a small village. We are Nickel. And our lives are constantly intertwined, creating a single picture of life in a small and cozy town.
Dmitry Borisov
Woodwork
I live and work in Nickel.
Sasha Kremenets
Supervises the project
Elements
«We are the life»
Daria Yaromenok
Porcelain, piles of waste robbing, core samples. Modest and inconspicuous porcelain flowers are heroes personifying the will to live and beliefs in a better future.
At the exhibition the delicate porcelain growths will be fixed in lifeless mounds of waste robbing from the rock waste dump. The installation will be made complete with thin transparent tubes which, on the one hand, are supposed to protect this fragile world, and on the other hand can be seen as invigorating rain.
At the exhibition the delicate porcelain growths will be fixed in lifeless mounds of waste robbing from the rock waste dump. The installation will be made complete with thin transparent tubes which, on the one hand, are supposed to protect this fragile world, and on the other hand can be seen as invigorating rain.
«We are the legends»
Anfisa Sheremetova, Anton River
Over a thousand photographic portraits of the residents and sound art interweaving with the voices of the photo gallery heroes.
«We are the way»
Kostya Gladkov.
An interactive journey to the Nickel of the past.
«We are the city»
Dmitri Borisov, Kostya Gladkov.
Wooden blocks which can be used to build a city. With the help of video, sound and colour the viewer can watch the city flower then fade away. The city does not disappear but keeps pulsating in cycles.
Exhibition
12 - 30 april, Nikel, Pobedy str. 13, cafe-bakery BRØD
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