«Cultivated Lands» by Alina Brovina, 2026—a cartographic canvas open to multiple levels of meaning. The work is housed in the «Landscape» section and represents a segment of relevant contemporary art. «Cultivated Lands» is a textile piece, sewn from Soviet fabrics and women’s accessories, which invites consideration of the process of developing the virgin lands—a process of destruction and nature, and the personal narrative behind it. The work also explores the relationship between the individual and the vulnerable versus the official, rigid, imperial stance toward geography. «Cultivated Lands» undeniably carries a political charge. Furthermore, the canvas exists within the artistic discourse of memory. It raises questions about the interconnection between technological progress and the underlying human experience within history, collective memory, and cultural code. This is achieved through the use of Soviet linens.
«Plowed Fields» by Alina Brovina, 2026 Textile, silicone, synthetic batting, foam, natural pigments, sewing, silkscreen printing
«Tilled Lands» is expressed through a form that emphasizes the emotionality of the phenomena and processes being examined. The variety of fabrics and textures—the texture—lends the work a sense of being alive, physically palpable, which enhances the understanding of participation in the events concerning geography, politics, and human experience. The canvas is integrated into a technological context through contradiction. The intentional «hand-made» form underscores a statement about the human, personal, and intimate aspect of settling the steppe, which eludes the official discourse of «conquering place.»
