Αυτοί δεν είναι ανήλικοι φυλακισμένοι

Payusova’s work, with its strong imagery, the play of consciousness and her unique juxtaposition of images, immediately brings the viewer into the world of these young men. Through the codified symbols of the Russian society, Russian Orthodox Church and the prison rhetoric, Payusova combines this heavy symbology with direct representation of the young mens’ faces to remind us of a complexity of life. It is this juxtaposition between their personal narrative and society’s reaction to them that allows one to search for an answer to this fundamental question of society’s judgments of saints, sinners and martyrs. In her own words: “What we fail to see are the reasons, the incentives for those kids to commit the crimes.”

Angelica Semmelbauer, Mimi Ferzt Gallery

Zek Week: Russia Prison Art του Μπομπ Αμστερνατμ.