The exhibition explores fear as a fundamental condition of contemporary existence — from a barely perceptible inner impulse to a paralyzing experience shaped by global instability, systems of control, and personal trauma. Here, anxiety is not only a destructive force but also a moment of pause, an opportunity to observe oneself from a distance and to register what is usually hidden or suppressed.
Artists Zoya Golubeva and Denis Evin propose different yet complementary approaches to this “investigation of anxiety.” In Evin’s works, digital technologies, mirrored structures, and organic objects coexist with images of loneliness and vulnerability. Golubeva’s paintings, referencing the Baroque tradition of European art, address themes of inner darkness, despair, and existential anxiety, unfolding through personal and almost intimate narratives.
During the process of creating the exhibition, Nature unexpectedly emerged as a third participant. Organic structures of forest fungi generated imagery that surfaced within the paintings, intertwining with memory, forgotten stories, and the unconscious. Open to the viewers’ interpretations, the exhibition invites audiences not only to encounter the fears of others but also to listen to their own, asking: "What becomes visible when anxiety recedes, and is a true encounter — with another and with oneself — possible?" The curator of the exhibition, Deniss Hanovs, asks the same question when reflecting on ideas and works of both authors.