Shadow Fish

2024 Krasnenkaya Antibiennale 2024

How are the human unconscious and the catastrophic forces of nature connected? I focus on the hidden fears and impulses that, like fish, surface from the depths of our inner world in moments of crisis.

Carl Jung wrote, “Everything we deny in ourselves, we project onto others.” The shadows of fish on the rippling surface of the water embody our darker aspects, projected onto the surrounding nature and people. In moments of social or natural disasters, our hidden fears and unconscious desires manifest most acutely, creating a new reality that we are forced to recognize.

To create the silhouettes of fish, I use materials found along the riverbank, along with maps and archival photographs documenting the floods of 1824 and 1924 in St. Petersburg. The natural disaster itself acts as a catalyst for the manifestation of our hidden sides — the parts we prefer to hide not only from others, but also from ourselves. Using the dual metaphor of fish shadows — symbols of the unconscious — I invite viewers to confront their own shadow surfacing during moments of nature’s turmoil.

Installation

Materials: cardboard, paper, wire, found objects