A square, a triangle, and varnished metal form a basis for Yaroslav Derkach’s project “Symbols” now being displayed in Kyiv’s TSEKH gallery. The artist has chosen ten specific objects – a crown, a sword, a tower, etc. – and treated them as general symbols.
“A sign just points to the object, while a symbol distinctly marks reality. Having its own meaning, the symbol represents other senses at the same time. The symbol unfurls indefinitely in space, so the object can freely recount its story,” the author says, explaining his concept.
Derkach works exclusively with the triangle and the square which, accordingly, embody motion and steadiness. Rectangular symbols are “inscribed” into triangular objects and vice versa. The exposition’s lineup adds to the play of meanings: “Crown” opposite “Door” causes you to think that any domination ends sooner or later. “When you enter the gallery, you can’t see the captions. We give one an opportunity to guess what they are watching,” the exhibit curator Oleksandr Shchelushchenko points out.
The material is of vital importance: a black metal, now glittering with car varnish, will begin to rust in the course of time. “There’s overabundance of plastic and other artificial materials now, while metal is genuine. As a matter of fact, metal adds weight to a decision,” Derkach says.
Incidentally, Yaroslav Derkach is a linguist by education. This is perhaps the reason why he takes so much interest in this play of the meanings of words and symbols. Born in Luhansk, the artist moved to Kyiv due to hostilities in eastern Ukraine, but he has been cooperating with the TSEKH gallery since 2007. His works were exhibited in Budapest and Vilnius.
“‘Symbols’ is an unusual project,” says Henrich Privitzer, Third Secretary at the Slovak Republic’s Embassy in Ukraine. “I liked the work ‘Door’ the most. You think you can just extend your hand and go through it. It is a very symbolic image of today’s Ukraine. This country is standing before a door to new opportunities and must go through it.”
The exhibit will remain open until April 18.
