DRUNKEN FOREST
14.05.2019
An exhibition by Jura Shust at the Vyksa Steel Works History Museum
An exhibition by Jura Shust at the Vyksa Steel Works History Museum
Jura Shust's project was displayed in the exhibition space of the Vyksa Steel Works History Museum. Using a monotown that emerged around a plant that later became the flagship of the Russian metal industry as an example, Drunken Forest examines the outlandish metamorphosis of an archaic worldview.
'The fire that engulfed Russian forests in 2010 became a kind of catalyst for the project. For about two months there was a fierce struggle, which took on a national significance. Wide expanses of ancient forests were destroyed, the fire claimed the lives of dozens of people, and thousands of houses burned down. Engulfing entire villages, the fire came close to towns, and the smog from burning peat bogs reached Moscow, forcing the residents to don respirators. Moreover, the smoke and residue from the wildfires in Russia crossed the Arctic and even reached North America... According to the official version, the wildfires were caused by drought, abnormally high temperatures and the so-called lovers of barbecuing in nature. That is why a brazier was installed in the altar zone of the gallery in the manner of a ritual altar.' says the artist.
Jura Shust
1983, Minsk | Belarus
Jura Shust is a Berlin-based Belarusian artist.
Shust holds an MA in Fine Arts from KASK (Ghent, BE), and a BA in Media Communication from EHU (Vilnius, LT).
Jura Shust works mainly with installation, graphics, and performative video. In his artistic practice, he focuses on the interconnection between rituals and myths with technologies, science, and bio-politics. Making a combination of artificial, extra materials with everyday elements the artist puts attention to contradictions of modernity: a passion for rational knowledge and fetishism from one side, vividly embodied in contemporary networking systems, and deep archaic worldview on the other. Turning to the issues of the future, such as the increasing speed of communication and information intoxication, technological and mythological utopianism that frames the belief in immortality, Shust examines the sacred connection between technology and society.
Since 2012, Shust has collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art GFZK (Leipzig, DE), Contemporary Art Museum S.M.A.K. (Ghent, BE), Museum de Domijnen (Sittard, NL), Calvert 22 Foundation (London, UK), Blaffer Art Museum (Houston, Texas, US) and other galleries. In 2016 took part in the 5th Biennale for Young Art in Moscow.
His works are featured in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art S.M.A.K. (Ghent, Belgium) as well as in private collections.
Shust holds an MA in Fine Arts from KASK (Ghent, BE), and a BA in Media Communication from EHU (Vilnius, LT).
Jura Shust works mainly with installation, graphics, and performative video. In his artistic practice, he focuses on the interconnection between rituals and myths with technologies, science, and bio-politics. Making a combination of artificial, extra materials with everyday elements the artist puts attention to contradictions of modernity: a passion for rational knowledge and fetishism from one side, vividly embodied in contemporary networking systems, and deep archaic worldview on the other. Turning to the issues of the future, such as the increasing speed of communication and information intoxication, technological and mythological utopianism that frames the belief in immortality, Shust examines the sacred connection between technology and society.
Since 2012, Shust has collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art GFZK (Leipzig, DE), Contemporary Art Museum S.M.A.K. (Ghent, BE), Museum de Domijnen (Sittard, NL), Calvert 22 Foundation (London, UK), Blaffer Art Museum (Houston, Texas, US) and other galleries. In 2016 took part in the 5th Biennale for Young Art in Moscow.
His works are featured in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art S.M.A.K. (Ghent, Belgium) as well as in private collections.
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