Artist is Never Alone in His Body

This work is a condensed reflection of modern reality—interweaving relationship issues, political and ideological contradictions, subconscious desires, lies, and arbitrary formalism—into a singular, composite body. It forms a cohesive unity of characters and forms, employing crude yet purposeful artistic methods and real faces to construct a visceral installation. At the center is the artist, whose own physical presence becomes the foundational medium: his body a canvas, a mannequin onto which familiar characters are imposed and fused. By surrendering his own identity—his face—and allowing his body to carry the visual and ideological weight of the characters, he both distances and asserts himself, inviting viewers into his studio to participate in this constructed reality. The interaction of the viewer with the piece initiates a process of dissection and synthesis: at first separating impressions and characters, then fusing them into new, abstract meanings through a mental and emotional journey. The characters’ selection and arrangement are deliberate, informed by ideological and psychological resonance, and the interplay of their relationships—personal, political, or historical—is hinted at but never fully revealed. These links, both visual and symbolic, are reinforced by the strategic placement of faces and the artist’s corporeal presence. The use of documentary-style photography lends a dual realism, intensifying the spatio-temporal quality of the work, making it both immediate and reflective. Ultimately, this installation compels the viewer to oscillate between recognition and doubt, humor and sorrow, mirroring the complexities of contemporary existence.

Samvel Saghatelyan
https://www.samsaga.com/en