Who is artist Arsentiy Lysenkov? Share with us a few things about you and your work in general.
Arsenty grew up in an artistic environment and studied an advanced vocational training in sculpture for four years (1997-2001) at the Penza Art College, which is known for its traditions and named after K.A.Savitsky.
Later, he continued his studies at the Moscow State Academic Art Institute of Fine Arts, named after V.I. Surikov, under the guidance of the renowned sculptor A. Rukavensikov (2001-2007). Arsenty participated in many group exhibitions in Russia and Cyprus, as well as in the international sculpture symposia in France, Russia and Cyprus.
Since 2011 he has been living and working in Cyprus together with his wife Katerina Foukara, who is a painter/artist as well. Arsenty has organized, coordinated and supervised several international symposiums, exhibitions and installations. His monumental sculptures are found in many public places and personal collections around the world, including those in the Polis Chrysochou Marina, in Limassol, Geroskipou and Ayia Napa Sculpture Parks.
Arsenty’s sculptures are inspired by the history and nature of the island’s original ancient forms. The objects are made utilizing contemporary artistic techniques, continuing the neoclassical tradition of the 20th-century European sculpture. Through the simplicity of the form his works lead us to the harmonious architecture of the primitive object. At the same time, the sculptures are a blend of realistic rendering and metaphysical visual search and dynamic expression.
What was your reaction when you heard that you were awarded? Twice? since you were also awarded by WAVA, Artist of the Mediterranean award!
Very excited and pleased. I have been working on this project for a long time..
Tell us few words about your awarded work.
In the modern world of social networks, people are immersed in their gadgets and live in the illusion of communication. They lack a simple feeling like the feeling of touching, shaking hands, hugging.
The sense of touch is familiar to us from childhood, however, over time we lose this feeling. There are over 10,000 emojis in Japan and people use GIFs, photos, videos and audio messages. But before any spoken language appeared, there were only tactile senses as people touched each other.
The purpose of the project is not to eliminate modern languages, but to offer the old language of the senses. This language can be minimalist, however, people from different continents can feel each other. It is primordial and it exists. However, we wonder if it is still available to humanity.
The purpose of this experiment is to understand whether humanity has the opportunity to discover and understand the language of communication, the language of vibrations.
I have taken for my object a simple, minimalist form in which Aphrodite is present. This is the original form, the original as a logo and as a slogan.
The object is a homage tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s acclaimed film A Space Odyssey of 2001.
Art has always been the conduit of information about the very origin of humanity, one can cite examples of the Vasco da Gamma cave and all kinds of different primitive rock paintings, mothers of gods of the East.
I believe I managed to connect through the two monoliths at the Larnaca Biennale exhibition people from two different cities of Cyprus, now I dream of a bigger challenge connecting the countries of Cyprus with others.
Watching the viewers in my sculpture who understood the reasoning and the whole idea, the spectators themselves began to create thoughts and ideas waiting with the question where could there be another obelisk that could connect unite the thoughts that unite people . There is a work of art by the artists of their work and that enables people to think, uniting with an idea in social groups ideas of communication and integration in modern society.
Often information is used as a weapon in this situation but people who understand the meaning of the idea and feel the response from the visitors of the 2 monolith they send receive information themselves begin to think about the same sculpture.
Any work of art in one way or another was at all times the object of communication between the artist and the viewer in this case, the artist whose work to connect the viewer in different cities unites them with a thought of communication on earth with which we now have the opportunity to communicate a project of interaction between people who are in different places especially in the present time we are going through.
I believe that the work was in dialogue with the specific space and community since the convergence of different energies of styles and textures with the representations of figures and forms, the space, the natural landscape and abstract art are the elements that adorn the themes of the works and highlight the art space in a unique important high level artistic experience.
The project aims to highlight the relationship between man, art and nature traveling through history and trying to activate the public interest in the return of tactile communication and touch, but also to give interaction between other works and with artists and the public.
What was your overall impression about Larnaca Bienalle 2021?
Larnaca Bienalle left the brightest and pleasant impressions to me.
Is a very interesting platform to exhibit your participation in the competition of a super interesting topic witch creates a new experience for the visitors who have the opportunity to watch the exhibition an talk with the artists gaining a strong experience, to admire and see the different energies of styles and highlight Larnaca in a significant unique artistic experience of a high level.
The team was amazing and very professional, it’s a difficult work to coordinate a huge group exhibition and to organize everyone but working with them was a pleasure and I believe everyone felt the friendly atmosphere the hospitality and mainly the professionalism and devotion from the Team to succeed.
In general you could feel the positivity and I wish all the artists to experience the emotions that we all experienced together it was an amazing boost of energy.
A message you would like to send to artists that will apply in the future for participation in the larnaca bienalle?
Definitely to apply!! It’s a very nice experience and is really important to engage with other artists.
