Vestments

These three works are part of the project "Iconostasis of Hypocrisy," which the artist Katya Quel  has been developing since 2020. The project addresses various forms of hypocrisy in institutions of power, religion, and society. Components of the project include immersive installations that replicate the internal architecture of an Orthodox church with a separated altar, the interior decor of the "church" (usually within the walls of a contemporary art gallery), a book of modern canons and psalms written by the artist, a performance liturgy with readings, a choir, and electronic music, as well as sometimes a souvenir shop with artifacts created by the artist. These works are called "vestments" by the artist; they are inspired by the embossed covers that adorn particularly valuable Orthodox icons. Worshippers bring their jewelry, chains, and crosses made of precious metals to them as a sign of gratitude or with requests and prayers. Inside Katya Quel's sculptural "vestments," instead of the faces of saints, we see mirrors reflecting our own faces, inviting selfies and highlighting our current reality. Quotes from the "book of psalms and canons" are engraved on the surface: "It can't end like this," "Travesty is real," "The bridge will burn, the ship will sink." The latter quote, written in 2020, became prophetic in the context of developments in occupied Crimea in 2022.

In creating the iconostasis, the artist reflects on her upbringing in the Russian Orthodox environment. Religious postulates are deeply ingrained in the subconscious and terrify with their presence on an unconscious level.

Katya: "The canons and rules that were imposed in the church always seemed unjust to me. Why can't women go behind the iconostasis? Why should a woman be subordinate? Why does the church bathe in gold ornaments while the priest calls for the renunciation of all earthly goods? Their gloomy voices and sad chants instilled fear in me, and I sought distraction in my imaginary world. I voraciously read fantasy books and, in my dreams, communicated with elves and dwarves, traveling on spaceships across the galaxy. These years probably laid the foundation for forming my artistic identity."

"The Book of Psalms and Canons" is a work based on artistic poetics that views our contemporary technocapitalist world as teetering on the brink of its end. It conveys the sense that the younger generation, raised in the internet and social media era, expresses their discontent and anxiety about the modern world. In this future, where philosophy and science no longer play a significant role, the swan song of the departing era sounds, and romantic ideas seem lost.

‍