"Expect"
“Those who are waiting”
2023 Textiles, coffee, gypsum, metal
Every time my parents are able to call me, they don't tell me anything about the situation and life in the occupation. Mom tries to smile and even about the fact that there is no light and many tries to speak happily. But at the end of the conversation, she always says one phrase that has already become a symbol of lack of freedom - "Hands down." Mom doesn't want to clean, cook, work, read, she doesn't want anything, she just wants to sleep and not wake up. No dreams, no goals, no future.
In this project, I award medals for courage and patience to all people who are under occupation. And let them passively wait, let them do nothing and have no influence on the victory, but for me they are heroes and warriors just like at the front. They endure searches, thefts and intimidation from Russian soldiers, they endure humiliation and betrayal from neighbors and relatives. They stubbornly do not take the Russian passport that is constantly imposed on them. Some of them disappear into torture cellars. This is the part of the population that Russian soldiers call "zhduny", which means "those who are waiting».
This concept powerfully captures the psychological toll of occupation, the silent resistance of those living under oppression, and the complex emotions of helplessness and endurance. The title "Manipulative anathema" suggests a curse or condemnation that is manipulative in nature, perhaps referring to the psychological tactics used by occupiers. "Those who are waiting" humanizes the victims of occupation, highlighting their passive yet powerful form of resistance.
