EVGENIYA MARTROSYAN | TO ASHES

GOMA Gallery of Modern Art, 25th august to 1st October 2022

Opening Reception – 6pm Thursday 25th August
Guest Speaker – Max Le Cain, experimental filmmaker
Live Music by The Relics

Evgeniya Martirosyan’s new body of work ‘To Ashes’ is a meditation on mortality, impermanence and loss. The artist draws from the symbolism of fire and ash, materials closely associated with death and destruction, but also leading to a new cycle of creation. Used family beds, objects which hold memories of life, dreams and struggles, were set on fire and reduced to debris. Charred and fragmented bed carcasses also allude to war, displacement and the aftermath of a disaster, coincidentally resonating with current events.

The work combines sculptural detritus with moving image, developed from the artist’s continuous experimentation with the material and visual qualities of fire and ash. As the fire gradually reduces the objects to ash, this formless and featureless substance is activated again by the caressing artist’s hand.The tactile gesture creates an emotionally charged atmosphere, inviting the viewer to reflect on the precariousness of life.

‘The sense of fragility is immediate and haunting… Ash now becomes pure memory mater, teeming with its own vibrant ghost life.’
Max Le Cain