THE APPLESEED NECKLACE

(Belgium/Belarus, 2016-2018)


Every time I think of my homeland (Belarus), I am reminded of how wonderfully resourceful and creative the people are. Probably those qualities were inherited - together with tolerance - from the Soviet period. As I was born in 1986, I was a citizen of the Soviet Union for part of my early childhood and I still remember my passport with the hammer and sickle on it and the empty racks in the stores.

This series is based on once predominant DIY culture in the country of my origin that developed in the time of my childhood. As I stage my photographs today, I refer to my memories and nostalgic feelings for the things that I have seen and heard in the past, events that I have participated in.

I am talking about creativity, craftsmanship, diligence and typical recycling that were natural to the people living in conditions of constant shortages. It was a time when one had either to find a way to “snatch” what was needed or to make it out of the accessible materials.

Although today this lifestyle is more often seen in domestic decorations, I am trying to revive in my photographs what once was a vital necessity.

Exhibition view, 31 days of .tiff, FOMU Antwerp, 2018

The Paper Hat, 2016

The Lamp, 2016

Weight Lifter, 2016

The Vase, 2016

The Dress, 2016

Medical Matches, 2017

Storage Car, 2017

The Potato Picker, 2016

The Chair, 2016

The Horse, 2016

Straight Razor Cuts, 2017

The Patchwork, 2016

The Umbrella, 2017

Exhibition view, 31 days of .tiff, FOMU Antwerp, 2018

Mayonnaise Hair Nest, 2017

Fishing Shrimp, 2017

The Flower Pot, 2016

Moonshine Apparatus, 2017

The Chicken House, 2016

Exhibition view, 31 days of .tiff, FOMU Antwerp, 2018

'The Appleseed Necklace' artist publication, part of the installation at 31 days of .tiff, FOMU, Antwerp, 2018

Copyright © Alexey Shlyk All rights reserved.
Using Format