The deserted island
2020—2021
Living all my life on the island of Kotlin, I see forts destroyed before my eyes. And I constantly ask myself: what is left to do with these dilapidated buildings?
In 1704, Peter The First founded the city of Kronstadt and decided that he would protect and defend St. Petersburg from its enemies. Kronstadt became a satellite city of Saint Petersburg. Around the island, Peter began to build forts: small island-fortresses, war castles, a total of 19 were built.
My objective in the project is not a direct documentation of what is happening, but to evidence the existence of these forts, their transformation into ruins and their restoration. I "froze" my eyes at the moment of restoration or its final destruction, fixing them in a state of transitional ruin. By capturing the forts, I appropriate a past that has belonged to me and pass it on to the world. Traces of this past are available to anyone who sees them.
The ruins are a unique testimony of the past that is alive in the present. This is a time portal. They are now a different and altered object than the original building. The ruins are decaying, but also destroyed at the same time. The restored fort is a twin to the original building. I am fascinated by the idea of substituting reality. We imperceptibly, unknowingly create a copy of the real world, most of the time inaccurately. Can this building be called by the same name if it is already a different object? When restoring, we replace the original building with a model.
I multiply the visions and connect them with mine -through the eyes of the computer-, which allows me to print objects on a 3D printer. A new dimension of forts is born, created by machine and man. The observer (I) gives light to another reality (a copy multiplied by three). I witness the ruin of forts, with my subjective gaze I record what is happening in the images. I implement a "blurry" look, retaking the same photo multiple times to achieve the effect of blurring and memory deterioration. I copy my photos like we copy buildings, restoring them.
camouflage
2019—2021 ongoing
I am inspired by how snow and fog change space.
They dissolve everything without leaving a trace.
Hidden from our eyes, people, cities and animals seem to be protected from danger.
When forests burn and entire species of animals become extinct, I try to figure out how I can protect them. In the project, I wrap myself in smoke, shroud,
I hide natural objects that seem vulnerable to me.
I think of your protection.
In turn, I think of mimicry. Only a few species of animals and plants are capable of such a transformation.
What if we could all protect ourselves with adaptive colors?
I fill the snow-white space conscientiously and diligently, like Japanese engravers, leaving only outlines and hints. As if running with an ink pen on a white sheet, I examine the void-filling capacity.
Objects merge with the world and we no longer notice them. We leave them alone.
MOTHER NATURE INSTALLATION
MARIA ERMOLENKO
Maria was born in Saint Petersburg (Russia) in 1995.
Lives and works in St. Petersburg.
Mariia is the founder and editor-in-chief of a photography magazine, Grandmama's print magazine.