Hermitage

In 'Hermitage' project the main subject is the museum as an art institution and its impact and influence of our perception of art. Taking the way art is being presented in the Hermitage, one of the biggest art collections in Russia, as an example, I also question public’s actual interest for the artwork. The impossibility to see the painting, because of the reflections, creates an interesting relation between the artwork and the viewer. On the one hand, there is common sense in the action of going to the museum, but on the other, the failure to perceive it properly renders the action meaningless.
Another layer that constitutes the project is photo reproduction of a painting. Captured from certain position the original value of the painting is taken away. The attention is shifted from esthetic qualities of the artwork to the context of where and how it is displayed. In this way photography is able to generalize and through particular artworks present a new perspective. This project has resulted in a book.