A show of new photographs by Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov opens in London tomorrow.
Challenging and provocative, Mikhailov's photographs document human casualties living in post communist Eastern Europe after the demise of the Soviet Union. They are unflinching and ruthless depictions of poverty and the homeless (also known as Bomzhes) living in the margins of Russia's new economic regime without social support or care. 'Case History' comprises of almost 500 pictures of the homeless in Mikhailov's hometown, Kharkov. This exhibition presents a simulated wedding between two homeless people often naked and in sexual poses, set amongst their own surroundings.
Mikhailov's photographs, often presented in these wry even humorous situations, only add to the absurdity of this tragic life. The onlooker experiences feelings of empathy and disgust as they guiltily absorb the content of these engaging yet horrifying pictures, peering into an unknown world of madness, destitution, longing and death in an un-redemptive portrait of outcast humanity.
The artist does not avoid moral complexities, paying his models to pose in these ambiguous interventions, thus emphasising the tenuous relationship between photographer and model, voyeur and victim. It is Mikhailov's intention to demonstrate the vulnerability and helplessness of his subjects, defending his belief that it is better to document and draw attention to the suffering and degradation of his subjects than to ignore it. The harsh realism of these works acts almost as an ironic retort to the airbrushed deceptions of the Soviet-approved 'Socialist Realism'.
The removal of the models clothes temporarily frees them of social oppression and stigma. They are no longer united by the well-worn, smelly clothes that symbolises their community, only the glimpse of scars, lost teeth and sagging bodies hints at their true identity. It is this delicate collaboration of freedom and open manipulation that makes these unscrupulous photographs so fascinating. Mikhailov furthermore emphasises the importance of using colour photographs for the project. In the introduction to 'Case History' he explains that despite the subject's inability to afford such luxuries, to be part of something beautiful and colourful gives them the power to feel equal to the society that shuns them.
Boris Mikhailov The Wedding
28 March - 17 May
Sprovieri Progetti Gallery
27 Heddon Street
London, W1B 4BJ
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