Homesick
In today's geopolitical landscape, "Homesick" delves into the profound shifts in personal identity sparked by the relentless tide of global challenges, compelling individuals to forsake their native lands in pursuit of a renewed sense of belonging. It’s an intimate project for artists due to their constant aggravated search of the lost origin. This nuanced evolution unveils a kaleidoscope of possibilities for self-discovery, empowering individuals to forge a new narrative of identity. Navigating the unfamiliar terrain, they confront the complexities of "Otherness" and embrace the transformative substance of "Alienation", asserts curator Alena Stetsiukevich. In 2024, "Homesiсk" was exhibited in Venice at the CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo.
Lidia Russkova-Hasaya explores the complex concept of 'home' through video, public art and installation, based on her personal experience of migration. In her three-channel video artwork Lidia challenges the notion of home drawing on the story of her grandmother's life in three different countries. Her installation 'Grandma's recipes', on the other hand, focuses on Lidia's own journey. By transforming one of the spaces into an immersive room made out of hundreds of cardboard boxes she invites the observer to reflect on their experience with leaving one's life and identity behind, packing it into boxes with memories kept in things. The installation is complimented by a three-channel video portrait of the artist’s grandmother, who in three languages shares details from her life living in several different countries over a cup of tea in her Tbilisian living room. Through an intimate grandmother-granddaughter conversation, divided into three parts, Lidia attempts to capture and also recontextualize time, history and the image of a ‘soviet woman’ for better understanding of her background. Finally, in her public art piece, a neon sign in Georgian, she reflects on her experience of being denied Georgian citizenship based on her insufficient command of the language, thus embarking on a quest to decipher whether language still serves as a barrier between one's identity and their right to have a home.
CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo is an international cultural centre founded in 2016 on Giudecca Island in Venice. The project supports both local Venetian artisans with the aim of preserving the city's identity and artistic heritage, as well as independent contemporary art projects. In the last five years, the centre has organised over 60 exhibitions of more than 400 artists from all over the world. During its existence, CREA has had 250,000 visitors. It actively co-operates with many significant institutions in the field of culture and arts, including Gallery Rosenfeld (London), Engel Gallery (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem), Art 3035 Gallery (Amsterdam) and others.
