Olga Kiselyova is one of the central representatives of the international science art – the art that uses scientific knowledge and technologies. In her works, the artist appeals to exact science – the latest branches of biology and physics, and political and social research. Kiselyova’s laboratory workroom closely cooperates with Sorbonne University research centers carrying out experiments and confirm the hypothesis put forward by the artist in strict compliance with the research methods adopted for the research area.

The project demonstrated in the halls of "Ekaterina" Cultural Foundation is called "Superman – Ignoramus". This is a quotation of Nikolay Fyodorov, an outstanding futurologist philosopher, founder of the Russian cosmism. It is the title of one of his articles devoted to the criticism of Friedrich Nietzsche positions. But the exhibition is not about Nietzsche. The issue of self-understanding and self-awareness as the overhuman, reassessment of their own capabilities has passed through the centuries and nowadays takes ever more amazing and disturbing forms. Today, the humanity sees itself as the omnipotent master of the world capable to govern not only the processes going inside the human civilization (which we fail to govern so far, by the way), but even natural and cosmic phenomena. This is the way a modern person generously equipped with iPhones, sensors, and other gadgets feels overhuman while still being sophomoric against the Supreme Intelligence embodied in nature, cosmos and philosophical thought.

In her works, Olga Kiselyova examines such topics raised by Fyodorov as “Copernican architecture”, “natural autonomy”, or “ideographic script” through the time and space perception experiments, territory dynamics, marking alternative forms of intelligence by studying and restoring the ancient future knowledge. Deliverables of this research will be presented in the exhibition in the series of installations created in-situ, and by documenting several large-scale projects implemented by Kiselyova in cultural and research institutions in different parts of the world.

In the exhibition in "Ekaterina" Cultural Foundation, just like in other projects, Olga Kiselyova will act as the research artist. In spite of the high share of research and technology component, aesthetics in each of her work remains sensuous, and the statement – conceptual, which is a rare quality in the world of the hi-tech and science art.

The halls of the Fund also present the panoramic video that documents "Infinity" performance (Contre-Temps) that took part in Satka in July 2019 during the 5th Ural Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art. According to the artists’ idea, the performance devoted to the ideographic script that was first shown in the Louvre museum demonstrates infinity and continuity of the culture of the industrial production, this modern method of being connected with the infinity of the natural materiality. The Satka’s campaign took place in the bottom of the Beryozovsky quarry rich with magnesite. The space of the Satka’s industrial landscape, one of the mining centers of the Southern Urals, redefined the meaning of the performance. With this landscape in focus, the connection of the natural materiality of the mineral rock with infinity became visible. 

Olga Kiselyova graduated Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy. She continued studies in the University of California and the Columbia University (New York), where she focused her attention at the video art and multimedia, and defended her thesis in video and digital art. In 1998, she was invited to teach in Sorbonne University, where she has been holding position of the professor and head of the International Institute of Art And Science since 2007. She is a member of the Academic Board of Sorbonne University, the founder of Art&Science laboratory, and also the visiting professor of Art&Science programme in St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics. Works of Olga Kiselyova were presented in the Paris Museum of Modern Art, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, KIASMA Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki, MoMa in New-York, Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art in Bilbao, National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, the Russian Museum in St.-Petersburg, and in many international exhibitions and biennales.

"Ekaterina" Cultural Foundation

Address: Moscow, Kuznetsky Most, 21/5, entrance No. 8

The exhibition is opened since  11:00 a.m. until 98:00 p.m. except Monday

The source: official website of the Foundation