Dasha Chechushkova’s Labyrinth (Infinite Return) relief is made of rooms of inner tragedy, as the artist put it. The drawings from her notebook-diary represent pieces of her experience, comprising the overall image depicted in the monumental work.
1 – Jack of all Trades
“JACK OF ALL TRADES” – THE STRUGGLE FOR
LIFE AND DEATH WITH THE DRAGON, WHO RESIDES
IN THE MIDST OF THE HERO
FIRST, TRY TO OVERCOME
YOUR “INCAPABILITY”
2 – Invasion
IN A TIGHTLY PACKED CITY.
EMPTINESS INVADED
EVEN IN IT, CLAUSTROPHOBIA APPEARED.
3 – “I don’t know”
FEELING OF INCAPABILITY
TRANSFORMS THE HERO INTO A TOWER
IN A PRISON, WHO DOESN’T KNOW
WHAT HE WANTS ANYMORE.
4 – A Bogieman is coming
WHAT YOU WERE AFRAID OF
IS YOUR SHADOW.
UNKNOWN WHO FRIGHTENS MORE.
DOES IT OR YOU?
5 – For she was very sensitive
SHE WAS STRONGLY SENSITIVE
AND ONTOLOGICALLY DEPENDENT
HER HEART STOPPED.
6 – to be tolerant of Fate
WAITING FOR ANSWERS EVERY DAY,
BEHIND DOORS, AND EVERY DAY
NOT GETTING THERE. WE ALL WAIT
FOR SOMETHING. SOMETIMES THE ONLY THING
THAT REMAINS IS TO COME BACK NEXT DAY
AND WAIT IN LINE AGAIN.
7 – The house of Fame
“EVERYTHING SAID IN A LOUD VOICE OR WHISPER,
WRITTEN OR SUNG, AS IF BY
THE LAW OF GRAVITY REACHES
ITS DESTINATION.”
8 – Everybody will perish
“BUT WILL IT BE WORTH IT
TO GET A PLACE IN THE TEMPLE
OF MEMORY.”
ANOTHER QUESTION
9 – His house is on fire
THE HERO STANDS AND TALKS TO
A LOG ON THE CHAIR WHILE HIS
HOUSE IS BURNING.
SUCH IS THE FORCE OF HIS GUILT.
10 – You can’t look in the mirror
THE GHOST SAW ITS REFLECTION
IN THE MIRROR.
11 – Nobody knows anybody
WE ALL REMAIN STRANGERS
TO EACH OTHER. FOR THE SAKE OF
SAFETY AND “SELF-PRESERVATION”
12 – “A Blue arise”
HE SEATED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT ON A CHAIR.
382 TIMES (MAYBE MORE)
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE USEFUL, ONLY
HE NO LONGER KNOWS HOW.
13 – Middle ages
ONE OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE MIDDLE AGES:
ANIMAL TRIUMPHS OVER HUMAN.
14 – Exhausted-Pro
SINCE YOU CANNOT BEAR IT,
HEAP EVEN MORE UPON YOURSELF.
15 – Constant repetition
CONSTANT REPETITION WILL NOT
HELP THOSE WHO WANT TO
BE HEARD.
16 – Dream of the mind
AS SOON AS YOUR MIND FALLS ASLEEP
CHIMERA IS CLOSE BY.
IT’S ALREADY NEAR YOUR DOOR
AND EAGERLY AWAITS IT
17 – temple of oblivion
DO NOT WAKE THEM UP. PERHAPS A DREAM –
THE SOLE CONSOLATION OF THE UNFORTUNATE.
(THE MOURNFUL)
18 – Blade runner
HE DISRUPTS BALANCE EVEN
WHEN WALKING IN THE ROOM.
19 – Infinite return
INFINITE RETURN ARISES
WHEN THERE IS A INCOMPREHENSION,
THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RETURNED, BECAUSE THE PLACE
YOU LEFT BEFORE NO LONGER EXIST.
20 – Monument of Still life
AT ANY MOMENT, THE PRESENT
CAN BECOME (BECOMES) THE PAST.
AND TURN INTO A STILL LIFE.
WHAT WILL BECOME A MEMORIAL
IN THE COURSE OF TIME.
Translated by Oleksandra Pogrebnyak
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