Thought Experiment #2: Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova. Waterfall
curated by Aksiniya Peycheva
28.09.2023 - 28.10.2023
In the exhibition “Waterfall”, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova interweaves in an almost poetic narrative the search for answers that excite her, which in a sense affect every artist – how does one get to the essence of the creative impulse? Present a priori in the human consciousness, it is inexplicable, but at the same time she recognizes it as an extremely compelling feature of hers that deserves to be explored further.
In “Thought Experiment”, Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova chooses to look at the topic from a different perspective – that of the artificial intelligence. In a conversation with Mariana Todorova, she tries to clarify for herself whether rethinking this desire to create through a more rational point of view – that of technology, could help her understand what has been happening to her all her life. Is it possible that the AI, having the task of becoming a mirror image of the human consciousness, can really accomplish the creation of art, and thus “explain” how this process actually works? The intersection between her inner impulses and the new facts she discovers after the encounter find visual form in a 10-minute video, a frequently used medium used by the author, which becomes a diary, a personal reflection incorporating hesitations, concepts and moods. Based on an old video filmed in 2006, in which she paints on a mirror (referencing Elena Karamikhaylova’s painting “In front of the mirror”) and then repeatedly wipes away her own reflection, leaving it unclear whether she wants to clarify it or erase its image, the gradation of its appearance goes through various metamorphoses. It is almost theatrically covered with masks that become objects, separating independently in space, beyond its original source – a “mold” that can multiply her image ad infinitum. Other times, part of her face disappears into the background entirely. All these manifestations swirl in a game of searching for answers “from” and “for” oneself. The whole action of constant erasure and rediscovery is reminiscent of iridescence – a repeated internal reflection characteristic of the marine organisms, in which the object manages to merge with its environment and perform mimicry. In the case of Nadezhda, the attempt to merge is not only with the environment, but also with her own essence in its most inner manifestation, and it turns out to be impossible, because the process of self-discovery is complicated, due to a single fact – her essence is not static, it changes over time. In this waterfall of states, an alarming thought also appears – is it possible, after this game of rationalization of our consciousness and its recreation in AI, that we might not so much gain as lose something human along the way, and whether the task of the artist is not exactly this – becoming its archival.
Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova was born in 1960. She is author of videos, installations, actions, objects. She works with paper, tin, nails, spoons, soap, sand, ice, ice cream, cotton candy. In the recent years she uses camera as her main tool. Her more important solo exhibitions are: “On the kitchen table”, Little Bird Place, Sofia (2020); “How are you?”, Structura Gallery, Sofia (2019); “Ctrl+Z”, Arosita Gallery, Sofia (2016); “Frames“, Sofia City Art Gallery (2013); „eco stories“, The Warehouse, Sofia (2011); „Globally and long term the situation is positive“, Sofia City Art Gallery (2009); „Moderate optimism“, ul. 6 September No. 9, Sofia (2008); Nadezhda Oleg Lyahova, Centre for Contemporary Art, Pančevo, Serbia (2008); „Sofia Lions“, Artists‘ Association fabs, Warsaw (2006) and Goethe-Institut, Sofia (2005); „Vanitas“, Yokohama Museum of Art, Yokohama, Japan (2004). In 2009 she won the Gaudenz B. Ruff prize.
Dr. Mariana Todorova is a futurologist, associate professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Public lecturer and author of books. She has specialized in leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, the International Leadership Program (IVLP) and the Chinese Academy of Management. In 2019, Todorova co-authored a book, “Future studies and counterfactual analysis. Seeds of the future”, together with the famous American futurist Theodore Gordon (one of the creators of the Apollo project to land on the Moon. In 2020, she is publishing her own book in Bulgarian:” Artificial Intelligence. A brief history of the development and ethical aspects of the subject”. Todorova is chair of the Millennium Project and a member of Hera city, as well as a member of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2022 Todorova represented Bulgaria at UNESCO in the intergovernmental meeting to develop an ethical framework for artificial intelligence.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund
PROGRAMME FOR RESTORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS