Arkady Spivak

Arkady Spivak

I examine the transformation processes of my home, from a living space into a studio. The limitations involved in the process become the starting point for the works. The space is reorganized and allows me to go on journeys, accompanied by my squire – a black cat. The rooms, objects and figures change designation and purpose, new functions are examined and new possible actions in the domestic realm are introduced: the shower becomes a dining room, the vacuum is turned into a weapon or a selfpleasuring device, and a human body produces musical sounds.
The parallel world that takes shape in the house is comprised of revealing rituals, secrets and moments in which shame comes to light. My presence in different scenes is sometimes embodied from a position of desire and sometimes as a narcissistic act that turns the artist into a martyr of sorts. However, the simplicity and banality of the actions soon take the mysticism and mystery from the sacred to the secular domain. The private moments of documentation cast a new, unsettling gaze on everyday spaces, conjuring questions about masculinity, creativity and freedom. The work offers the viewer an intimate encounter with the artist and his practice. The soundtrack that envelopes the room creates a hierarchy between the photographed environments and ranges from a chaotic jumble of sounds to the concreteness of a single, distilled action.