Young Russian Artists: The Rite of Spring

"The idea of this work is inspired by a university project I did a year ago – it was about creating something instinctively while not thinking too much. This can be difficult with aquarelle because it needs to be controlled but I actually use a kind of algorithm: I let the material set the character of the work. The watercolours spill out creating interesting patterns. At the same time, I wanted to "ground" the light texture of the colours, to organise and "comb" the chaotic nature of the work.  

The language of authority in general correlates with power structures and political oppression, not only through linguistics, but also through gestures. Through these different patterns of dialect, I focus on violence and cruelty. I create situations through which I deconstruct authoritative discourse and the moment of interaction between power and its spectator”. - Angelina Mikhaylova, 2021.

Angelina Mikhaylova is a student at Moscow's HSE Art and Design School.