Artist and photographer Polina Rukavichkina and gestalt practitioner and curator Yulia Kurmangalina share an interest in the psychotherapeutic aspects of the influence of art on artists and viewers.
They regularly give each other feedback and refine their methods through dialogue. By bringing one of the stages of this communication into the public domain in the Museum, they aim to include viewers in the dialogue and examine each other’s usual argumentation in a new context.
In her photo projects, Polina Rukavichkina establishes a relationship of trust with her subjects so that they can reveal their vulnerabilities and imperfections. Polina will talk about how the photographic medium helps to explore distance and closeness, reflect emotional state and social context, re-establish contact with reality and with others, and see and interpret one’s darker qualities. Gestalt practitioner Yulia Kurmangalina will share her knowledge of the mechanisms of the psyche used to create and contemplate art. She will talk about the forming of an alternative artistic reality as a means of dealing with anxiety and about the method of «useful» escapism. In addition, Yulia is researching therapeutic, social, and manifesting aspects in the work of artists working outside institutions. Using their unique expertise, Polina and Yulia will discuss the influence of art on psychic health, whether there are boundaries to artistic expression accepted by both artists and therapists, and how art helps us to understand ourselves and the world around us.
