Konstantin "Zmogk" Danilov

In the spring of 2020, our world suddenly fell apart. The conditions in which people had found themselves, revealed many previously invisible problems. The communication between countries and people was disrupted. The space around us shrank to the size of our own homes. Many familiar things became practically inaccessible, such as in-person socialisation, travel or simply taking walks to favourite locations, doing sports, etc. The familiar world was transformed, and the new rituals and rules were rapidly flooding our lives. Theories and speculations about the future fate of the humankind swooped into the information space like an avalanche, dividing the society. What was happening seemed unreal. All of this had a great impact on the psycho-emotional health of both the society as a whole and individuals.

One and a half months of spring spent in a space limited by the walls of my own apartment have allowed me to trace the changes in my emotional state without the background noise of the outside bustle. I also kept note of my thoughts and reactions to my own behaviour, as well as analysed the actions of other people: acquaintances and strangers. Of course, all of this was done through the lens of social networks.

The exhibition “Spring 2020” explores different states of a human being who has found themselves face to face with the new order of things and the uncertainty that has been dominating the world of today. I am convinced that each one of us has been through those states. For some, they have passed momentarily, almost imperceptibly, and for others, it took a long time, since they had let those emotions deep into themselves.

I would like the viewer to recall their past self upon seeing my works, and to reflect upon their thoughts and actions back in the spring of 2020. Were they bitter or calm, what had led to this, and, in retrospect, were their actions justified? How would this person act in the future, were they to find themselves in a similar situation again? Did they feel responsibility and worry for their loved ones, or did they, on the contrary, deny the information from the news and social networks, and try to behave as usual? Doing that, did they feel anger and irritation upon facing the imposed rules, or did they humble themselves? Did they change?

Or, perhaps, that person still believes that what’s happening in the world doesn’t concern them and hasn’t affected them, nor would it concern them in the future. Perhaps, they are ready to dispute… Or maybe they either have already found the way or haven’t even started searching, since they are already excellent at perceiving new information and gaining insight. They avoid unnecessary emotions, and haven’t worried for themselves or other people to this day.