"City" extends my meditations on humanity's destiny and influence. The work once again features gigantic fragments of ancient sculptures, but their role is transformed.
"City" is my contemplative gaze into humanity's potential futures, a humble attempt to visualize and grasp the various paths that mankind might tread. Unlike my previous work, the future here appears desolate and bereft of life. Small, solitary human figures seem almost lost against the imposing backdrop of stunning futuristic designs.
These antique sculptures, once emblematic of human ideas' power, now serve as unknown energy sources that fuel the structures of tomorrow. Their function has shifted, their role now hinting at salvation or preservation of human heritage.
"City" paints a somber picture: the tragic demise of mankind. The lifeless world, isolated figures, and stark technological landscapes symbolize the Great Filter, echoing the unsettling questions raised by the Fermi paradox. The abundance of futuristic constructs nudges us to ponder the likelihood of a civilization's inevitable downfall. Alas, considering the Great Silence of the Universe, this probability appears dishearteningly high.
Through this project, I offer no clear verdict on humanity's fate. Perhaps the people portrayed are the last of their kind, yearning to immortalize their civilization's memory in grand sculptural forms. The surrounding desert sands symbolize time, a relentless force that might serve as the Great Filter, reminding us of the impermanence and mortality of all things. Against this arid expansion, the ancient monuments stand defiantly, their sheer scale a desperate counterpoint.
Yet there is a cyclical nature to time: rebirth follows death. Perhaps my canvases are not chronicling an hour of demise but rather a moment of genesis. The desert is not merely tomb's ashes; it is an ocean of sand, fertile with potential. Each futuristic structure may not mark a grave but signify a terraforming tool, the ark, and the lonely figures might represent pioneers rather than survivors.
"City" intrigues with its unresolved conclusion. The depicted crossroads in humanity's potential history are both terrifying and inspiring, as enigmatic as the universe itself. It is not a definitive statement but a humble exploration, a reflection on what might be, and a poignant reminder of our place in the Universe.
Oil on canvas \ 160cm x 220cm \ 62'99 x 86'61 \ 2023
The Сity is an artwork from the Civilization project. The entire project is an attempt to peer into the possible future of humanity. This future is inspired by the famous Fermi Paradox, where the solitude of human civilization in the universe is mathematically unjustifiable. The question Fermi posed also stirs my mind. If we trust mathematics, and as we know, mathematics does not lie, it's quite probable that there are civilizations at a similar stage of development within the distances known to humanity. But the Universe is silent. And such silence cannot but be unsettling. It's possible to assume that there exists a certain Great Filter or Barrier, upon encountering which, civilizations perish. My project is precisely a question about what this Great Barrier might look like. Is it awaiting us in the future or have we already passed it? The artwork 'City' represents my vision of the legacy that the humanity of the future is trying to save. Titanic fragments of ancient sculpture serve as a metaphorical form of human thought and idea. In the artwork, they act somewhat like a generator powering a futuristic city in a lifeless landscape.