Second Hand is an artistic project by Zhanna Kadyrova, which began in 2014 and reflects on and engages with Soviet monumental art. From then on, Ukrainian artist has been exploring ‘the history of buildings that have changed ownership and function’ by making visual analogies between the object and the place. That is, her work explores the relationship between architecture and mosaic panels of socialist housing projects, institutions and factories. One of the most striking aspects of Kadyrova’s art, which includes photography, video, sculpture, performance, and installation, is her experimentation with forms, materials, and meaning.
In this work, the artist creates various objects reminiscent of Soviet fashion of the 1960s-1970s. She uses both smalt and ceramic tiles, Second hand material predominantly taken from destroyed or abandoned Soviet factories. Second Hand project is delimited of two factories: the silk factory Darnitsa, and the Kiev Film Copy Factory.
The exhibition functions as a space of encounter for these materials which now takes new historical and symbolic significance. Film reel, ceramic and synthetic fibres, smalt and concrete build here a frame for Kadyrova’s objects. In short, a result where the artist encourages viewers to see old buildings and castoffs in a striking new light.
All images credited to Zhanna Kadyrova
