10/05/2024
matrioshka dolls project at « Nuit Blanche » as artist and grade 12 student Mary Zymbovysh sees it:This piece was not created to make you feel comfortable. It was created as an attempt to explain something unexplainable, to open closed minds and call out the ignorant ones. A week ago we were told we’re going to participate in the «Nuit Blanche» exhibition. A project was introduced to us, the task being to portray our past, present and future on nesting dolls. What do you think when you hear those words - «nesting dolls»? Do you think about their country of origin, Japan? Do you think about their presence in Africa? Or does your mind just maybe instinctively call it a russian doll? Hearing about this project for the first time, my body’s first instinct was to react with disgust. This feeling for me was inevitable, being Ukrainian and witnessing the war with my own two eyes there was no way I could escape feeling revolted by that doll. And as much as people will say that the making of this video was driven by emotion, hatred and trauma, that isn’t the case. I wanted to create this piece in order to help people understand why having us do a project on these dolls in today’s day and age is wrong, why ignoring their significance in the world we have now can be detrimental to our fight for peace. matryoshka dolls are one of the biggest and most prominent symbols of russia. Looking at it as just a doll is the same as eating a dirty fruit and ignoring that its dirty. Looking at it as just a medium, well sure, after all it is how Marshall McLuhan said - «the medium is the message». As long as russia keeps destroying and trying to erase my country and its people, this doll will be more than just a doll, it will remain a symbol of destruction and violence, a portrait of my past present and future.•Exhibit takes place - on October 5th 7pm-7amAt 401 Richmond building •Music by: Dakh Daughters- ЛюдинаFilming - Sviatoslav Dovhalyuk Nuit Blanche Downtown Toronto
