Red flags

"If a man will begin with certainties,
he shall end with doubts,
but if he will be content to begin with doubts
he shall end in certainties."
— Francis Bacon

Mikhail Pershko’s solo exhibition once again traces the evolution of thought and the artist's creative journey. The theme of movement and the passage of life’s path forms the foundation of this volumetric-spatial installation. From the first hall, the minimalism and symbolism of the objects set the tone for the discourse, while a black-and-white rhythm, like a tuning fork, guides the viewer deeper into the exhibition space, offering a chance to walk this path alongside the artist.

Life as a journey. It begins with the most carefree chapter—childhood, where spontaneity and innocence shield one from the harsh truth of existence that inevitably must be faced. Steel rails—impassive, cold, serving a single function: to be a railway. The intrusion of a child's sled into this space seems unnatural. Both are, ostensibly, symbols of movement, inspiring the crucial impressions that constitute memory and shape the personality. A lingering sense of anxiety is achieved through the contrast of their juxtaposition.

Life and Death.

Honesty and Hypocrisy.

Good and Evil.

The artist remains true to his vision. His palette is black and white: the cool hue of steel and the color of cold snow. He allows himself only one accent—red. The painted red strops restrain a suspended, hobbled, exhausted wolf. Their appearance and color directly allude to the exhibition's title. "Red Flags" signifies a place of no escape, where on the other side stands the one who holds another's fate. Contemplating these objects evokes the uncertainty and unpredictability of one's own future. The symbolic arrangement continues in the penultimate hall: scythes swirling around a monument—a structure that could celebrate either the triumph of good over evil or the heroism of the path traveled. The scythe itself, traditionally an attribute of Death, also symbolizes Life. It harvests the rye from which bread is made. The cycle presented by the artist culminates in the final hall, where the viewer stands before a painting. On it, both literally and metaphorically, each person can see themselves as part of this endless motion, this journey we all undertake.

The exhibition "Red Flags" is not merely a collection of objects but a coherent statement on human existence. Mikhail Pershko creates a space for contemplating life's fundamental questions, inviting the viewer not to passive observation but to active participation in an artistic exploration of a life filled with contradictions, anxieties, and hopes.

Associate Professor Kirill Spasskov

Photo: Ivan Sorokin