10 Questions with Anastasia Golovneva

Anastasia Golovneva was born in 1984 in the Russian city of Surgut, Tyumen region.

She graduated from the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art with a degree in industrial design. Since 2008 she has worked as a graphic and art designer, graphic designer, artist, and illustrator. Since 2016 she has been actively engaged in creative activities. Anastasia created a personal nomadic exhibition #vremyasever on the ethnic theme 2019-2021.

Currently, she lives in Moscow, works in the film industry. Since 2020, she has been writing in contemporary art style on the topics of women's personality mutations and environmental issues.

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Time-North | DESCRIPTION

Anastasia lived for many years with these indigenous small northern people side by side. Her grandfather was a Khanty by nationality, and she saw their life inside, witnessed their gradual russification. Today, many Khanty people live in towns and cities, losing their culture due to the "care" of the Russians and the displacement of their lands by oil companies.

Sacred places for Khanty have become the "holy" place of oil production – the leading and only resource of life support of our country. Before you create something in the modern world, you always have to sacrifice something. In this case, the victim of the ephemeral progress of the country was a small indigenous people with their world, which, in my opinion, is wider and richer than our modern, so developed, and progressive.

The Ugric world is original, carrying beauty and aesthetics, ethnic chic, mysterious and mythical, with a pantheon of gods, with many legends. Harmonious, but so fragile. We destroyed their world in just a couple of decades. Anastasia believes that it is necessary to know and understand the consequences of oil production, thanks to modern Russia.

Reindeer Moss, 52x64 cm, 2019. Anastasia Golovneva©

INTERVIEW

When did you decide to start doing art? And why did you choose this career path?

Creativity has been present in my life since childhood, I think, like many creative people. I always drew a lot and always came up with something, experimented, spoiled everything in the house for the sake of my next creative ideas. I think, in my case, it's a certainty. It couldn't have been any other way.

After graduating from the College of Art with a degree in fabric design, then the Institute of Design, I started working in the field of graphic design. But very soon, I realized that it was insanely boring for me; the work was limited, squeezed into a certain framework of responsibilities, did not give me spiritual satisfaction and peace. I wanted more.

And since I am an expressive introvert, I began to "tear" from stagnation and lack of realization. And for my mental health, at home, I began to sew, create beadwork, weave lampshades from wire, paint the walls in the apartment, and finally got to the fine arts. I started drawing without a specific idea or concept. It became my therapy. Furthermore, the motives for the following works began to appear. And creativity has become an integral part of my life. At the same time, I was studying my family tree, and most of all, I was interested in the ancestors of the representatives of the indigenous peoples of the north. And at some point, my art took a course in ethnography.

You are currently based in Moscow, where you work in the film industry. Tell us a little bit about your artistic background.

My mother, who received an art education in St. Petersburg, returned to Siberia and worked as an engineer in an oil company. And she always told me that in Russia you couldn't earn money from art. In the difficult 90s, it was so. Everyone just survived. Therefore, it was impossible to have a profession in creativity. That was the setup. But the catalogs of Bosch and Salvador Dali works stored at home, my mother's brushes and paints are hidden in a distant cabinet, folders with drawings and sketches left after the institute-did their job. And contrary to all the assumptions, I received two degrees in art and design.

The Earth Turned Over, 84x60 cm, 2018. Anastasia Golovneva©

In your statement, you talk about your Khanty descent. How much did it influence your work as an artist? Do you draw inspiration from any traditional technique or imagery?

I was born in Western Siberia, in Ugra. In 2008, I moved to another part of the country. But after a while, when I started having problems with self-realization, it was my native land that became something I could rely on. Even when I started drawing, I still didn't know which direction to go in for a while. I tried different themes, genres, and techniques. Since I am a very reflective person, at some point, I came to the topic of my homeland through ethnography, feeling that this is my topic. In it, I could open up, express myself, and return to the pure, unclouded vision of the world, as in my childhood.

At the same time, I did not have a question – "Why am I doing this?". Problems arise when there is no confidence and understanding of what you are doing.

My relatives, representatives of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north, certainly left a big mark on my mind, especially influenced by family, often mystical stories related to traditional culture, rituals, and traditions. Also, my personal life experience in the north, practical skills such as dressing fish skin, or very detailed sewing of national patterns on clothes, and many others in the compartment provides a great base for creativity.

The graphic techniques in which I work are unique and created by me right during the work. But I got my basic knowledge at the College of Arts and Culture in Khanty-Mansiysk.

Your work deals with environmental issues and the exploitation of land due to oil drilling, as well as other important themes we should all be reflecting upon. What do you think is the role of artists in society in regards to those types of themes?

It is a very difficult question. I think the role is the same as that of any other person in society. Now a lot of people speak out on the topic of ecology. I have long been interested in environmental issues; they are very global and large-scale. And often, you think that you alone can not change the system, and not being an expert in this matter, you just don't know-how.

I created a series of works on the environmental theme after sitting at home in Moscow. I saw a call for help from Khanty on the Russian website of Greenpeace. They talked about the consequences of another oil spill on their land that their deer were left without food. This is my homeland. I was in so much pain that I had to express my emotions somehow.

Later, people at the exhibitions thanked me for this series. I see that the works in people find a response and cause very strong emotions.

I think that not only artists but all people need to talk about this as often as possible so that the topic of ecology enters our lives thoroughly. And it did not raise questions like: "Why do you need to sort the garbage?". It is necessary to form environmental literacy and bring the environmental trend into the norm of life. Introduce such a subject in schools. Unfortunately, this is not developed in Russia yet.

Your watercolors are very gentle, both in terms of colors and technique. Where do you find inspiration?

It can be anything; the main thing is to get an emotional response in yourself.

My inspiration is in my emotions. If I don't feel emotional enough, then the work will be mediocre. This is verified. I do not drink alcohol and do not use any dope to experience a strong emotion. I have an increased sensitivity, which I use as a weapon (tool) in my work. In order to create a new job, I need to work the sensory system to the maximum. Literally, I can smell, touch, hear sounds, and always see my work in motion. That's probably why I don't have enough static images and always want to bring them to life. And I do video art.

Let's talk about your project, "Time North," a traveling exhibition that will be showcased in cities around Western Siberia. What is the purpose of the exhibition? And which message would you like to convey to the public through this exhibition?

This exhibition was a kind of my return to the north. When it became obvious that there were quite many works united by one theme with a common style and character, I took part in some group exhibitions. After which I received an invitation from the northern gallery to hold a personal exhibition, which was just interested in the ethnic theme. The more pleasant it was for me to create subsequent works, realizing that they were interested in the public.

I wanted to show how beautiful and unique the Ugric world is. But we are losing it, as many other peoples and cultures have lost it. And everything that remains now turns into some kind of puppet show—mummified performances in front of visitors. And the worst thing is that indigenous peoples often change their own worldviews and are ready to be sold to the same oil companies. But, after all, this is not from a good life. They simply do not have a choice. And this is the only way for them to survive. Sacred places for the people of Khanty have become a "holy" place of oil production – the main and only resource of life support of our country. We all have a responsibility to do this.

The Dance of the Deer, 76x58 cm, 2017. Anastasia Golovneva©

How did you come up with the idea of a traveling exhibition? And how is it like, in this very moment where we all still struggle with Covid, to have an exhibition traveling around Russia?

When in 2019 I sent an exhibition consisting of 54 works from Moscow to the north, I understood that the topic is in demand for this region. And since she will be there, why not take over the neighboring cities as well? At that time, there were no precursors of Covid. Everything was calm, and life went on as usual. I called the ethnographic museums of neighboring cities, sent them photos of the works, and they were all ready to exhibit the exhibition. I have a list of cities lined up in a certain sequence. And it was estimated that the journey would be over by the end of 2020. But when the exhibition was in the third locality, in March 2020, Russia was quarantined, and everything was abruptly closed. The local national holiday "Reindeer Herder's Day" was canceled, which I was supposed to come to the opening. It all happened suddenly. The works ended up in a closed museum for several months. We just waited, like everyone else.

It so happened that it was in the north of Russia that the restrictions were lifted in the last place. And only in September 2020, a limited number of visitors were allowed to visit museums. It was a joy! This is a great and interesting experience for me. Because I tried completely different formats during this time, while in Moscow, I conducted online openings, made video recordings of greetings and answers to questions from the audience. She talked about her work, including writing texts for tour guides, and then they told the audience online on the air. And, by the way, it helped me to understand even more deeply my works and the feelings that I put into them. I communicated with the audience using social networks and received a lot of responses. This is not planned, but such an unforgettable experience with a lot of new impressions!

What are your thoughts on digital presentations, like fairs and exhibitions, for artists? Do you think these are good opportunities?

I think it's a great way to make a statement. It is not always possible to participate in a real exhibition, auction, or fair, and then online spaces are a great alternative. Plus, the speed and abundance of information allow you to place Internet spaces - a huge plus. Although I am a tactile person and I love everything real, I do not exclude digital culture from our lives. This is inevitable and has already come. You just need to learn how to use digital capabilities skillfully.

Summer Snow, 59x80 cm, 2019. Anastasia Golovneva©

We all miss a lot of things from our lives pre-Covid. But is there one thing that you have discovered over the last year that you will keep with you in the future?

This is the desire to move right now without putting it off for later. Before Сovid, it seemed that there would be enough time for everything, if not now, then later. But the pace at which our lives began to change dramatically made it clear that we need to act right now.

And of course, going back to the previous answers – this, like everyone else, mastering the digital space has opened up new opportunities.

And lastly, what are your hopes, dreams, and goals for the future?

It's challenging to stay creative now that everyone is going through a crisis of consequences from Сovid. Therefore, the main desire to remain in this field is not to retreat.

I want to bring to life a large art project dedicated to the great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, who this year will mark 200 years since his birth. This is also a very large study, which has already begun in 2019 in the form of a documentary film, on which I also worked as an artist. And this project, " Dostoevsky. The Birth of a Genius," is a very complex but exciting work dedicated to the years of the writer's stay in the Siberian penal servitude.

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