The project “What Remains?” is rooted in the methodologies of memory studies and autoethnography. It invites viewers to explore how memory is preserved through objects and stories and how it shapes our identity.
“The project “What Remains?” brings together the works of two artists exploring memory, loss, and legacy. Through installations, graphics, and objects, the artists pose a central question: What remains after us, after our losses, and what do we do with it?
Katya Taguti presents an installation of plaster and charcoal casts—”memory tablets.” These objects, reminiscent of ancient Mesopotamian tablets, symbolize lost and forgotten things: items left behind during escapes, relocations, or disasters. Each “tablet” serves as a testament to destruction and exile. The installation includes 14 such tablets, displayed on specially crafted stands made from the same materials as abandoned houses: bricks, planks, rebar, and concrete. Taguti’s works resonate with Marianne Hirsch’s concept of “objects as witnesses.”
Alexandra Moiseenko presents a series of graphic works, a scroll-comic, and an object titled “The Yoke.” Her graphics are visual notes based on personal memories and family stories. The scroll-comic includes narratives of chance encounters, while its interactive component allows viewers to add their own memories. The object “The Yoke” symbolizes the balance between loss and preservation, reflecting the artist’s personal experience of surviving a flood. During the evacuation, Moiseenko carried 62 bottles of 1.5 liters, 5 bottles of 0.5 liters, and 2 bottles of 5 liters. While carrying water, she was constantly reminded of the traditional yoke used by her ancestors to transport water. Similarly, she adapted the yoke into a backpack, creating a modern version of this ancient tool. This return to the past proved both possible and tangible in the present”.
Text by Maria Morina,
multidisciplinary artist,
artistic research
@more.than.a.project