Residence permit
Video-installation
Dovzhenko-Center, GogolFEST 2017, Arksquot, Pavlovka ArtGallery
Kyiv, September 15-17, 2017
The installation includes three videos: Left - bus journey on the Ukrainian side, right - bus journey on the Russian side, center - video of the Moon. The artist Olga Gurina crossed the border between the two warring states - Russia and Ukraine. In one country she was born and lived until she turned 27. Her parents, brother, niece and best friend still live there. In the another country she found herself, her home and her future in which she believes in. In Russia - she has a passport. In Ukraine - a residency permit. The passport is given by birth, the residency permit needs to be “earned”, it is necessary to prove it every year - with taxes, statements, certificates of non-conviction.
In our work we ask ourself - is it really "right" to issue a passport based on place of birth of a person? Passport and residency permit, like a theater - inventions of humanity. Being a citizen is like a role one has to perform. Is it possible to live without playing in this "political" theater without noticing the boundaries?
Perhaps the only way not to cross the border is to go along it? Become a stateless person or a resident of the moon?...
Thanks for watching!
