AntiGonna
The project < Focus Ukrainian Artists > is hosted on the HEK Blog and its mission is to promote and support the works of Ukrainian artists. It provides a platform for artists during the war in Ukraine, inviting them to share their testimonies and reflections on the current social and cultural repercussions, through the use of digital media. The difficulties in which many of these artists currently find themselves, whether because they have to leave the country, or are engaged on humanitarian fronts, or because Ukrainian institutions cannot continue their activities, prompt support from cultural institutions. Through their work and by retaining their independent agency, artists contribute to a civic discourse through their artistic practices, and it is equally important that this reaches a wider audience. In line with HEK’s mission, works of art that make creative use of digital media are selected. Artists receive a loan fee for the presentation of their works. Participating artists are also invited to share their statements on the blog if they wish.
AntiGonna
Artist statement:
My work is autobiographical, but my imagery is strictly metaphorical and used as means of expression. In my opinion, prohibitions and taboos keep the public consciousness under pressure. Therefore, they do not need condemnation and secrecy from society, but, on the contrary, wide disclosure of topics that would allow working with the oppressed own “I” of each member of society.
“Porn horror” is a genre that combines elements of porn and horror in such a way that they neutralize the attraction-consumer component of each other. Here, sexual and scary do not go hand in hand to provoke desire as seen in exploitative cinema, but overlap, poisoning the lust of the first and exhibiting cheap effects of the latter. At the same time, the artistic practice of AntigonStaff is working with trauma. These are rituals that tame the horror of life, giving it a sham form.
__________________________________
“Моя практика автобіографічна, проте образи, якими я покористовуюся для художньої виразності, є виключно художніми метафорами з метою виразнішого проявлення розглянутих тем. На мою думку, заборони і табу тримають в тисках суспільну свідомість. І тому потребують не осуду й закритості від суспільства, а навпаки широкого розкриття тем, що дозволили б працювати з пригнобленим власним “я” кожного члена суспільства.
«Порнохоррори» — це жанр, який поєднує елементи порно та хоррору таким чином, що вони нейтралізували атракційноспоживацьку складову одне одного. Сексуальне та страхітливе не межують одне з одним, як зазвичай це буває в експлуатаційному кіно, підсилюючи стимулюючі ефекти бажання та жаху, але вплітаються одне в одного так, щоб бажання було отруєне жахом, а машинерія жаху-на-продаж, його дешеві ефекти, виявилися порнографічно експонованими. Водночас, практика AntigonStaff — це робота із травмою. Це ритуали, які приборкують жах буття, надаючи йому бутафорної форми.
WARNING: the following videos include explicit content and visual language, which may be offensive for some viewers or inappropriate.
Imitation leaser or Ladder of love for a woman
2019 – 2021
digital color video, sound, mix media
00:18:46 min.
Video projection about the decomposition of the hologram of female love and relationships into pixels and vice versa.
Rave on the bones
2017 – 2020
color, sound
06:59 min.
At the same time, when the war continues in Ukraine till today, the raves continue. Raves on the bones.
Zwierciadlo
2019
VR 360 degree video color sound
02:02 min.
Video performance focuses on the struggle against transphobic bullies and illustrates the despair of a person that goes through the sex reassignment surgery. Unable to fit into the social standards our protagonist is forced to hide in sewers. The appearance may not always reflect the experience. You can change everything on the surface and become the hostage in your own body where something always trembles, breaks or smashes, until it shines. Will there be a new life?
Artist bio:
AntiGonna was born in 1986 in Vinnytsia. Antigone is the protagonist of Sophocles’ tragedy named after her. Antigon Staff is a project initiated by AntiGonna with non-permanent membership, porn horrors, movies and photo series exploring and violating the conventions of both porn and horror are shot as a part of the project.
Independent filmmaker, queer-artist, actress and trash model. Research’s problems of fears, violence, death and new vision of sexuality. Work in such genres as video-art combined with a future film format and an experimental documentary, music video, virtual reality, photography. Research interests deal with the problems of fears, violence, death and new vision of sexuality. AntiGonna’s work spans in such genres as video-art combined with a future film format and an experimental documentary, music video, virtual reality, photography and ets. Her works were shown internationally in museums and art festivals, such as Radically Different Society at Ukrainian Institute of America (Manhattan, New York, USA); Garden after Gods, JUMP Contemporary Art Center 2021 (Poltava, Ukraine); FEAR, Arsenal Gallery power station 2021 (Białystok Poland); Why there will be women in Lviv, Lviv Municipal Art Center 2020 (Lviv, Ukraine); Somewhere Out There, Somewhere Beside Presentation of Ukraine Video Art 2015-2019 NAC library Nida Art Colony 2019 (Neringa, Klaipeda County, Lithuania); Crossing the Line: Under Mud LUX Scotland 2019 (Scotland, Glasgow); Love, Lust & Fury Contemporary Ukrainian Photography 2019 (Klaipeda, Lithuania) and festivals such as , MAKE ART NOT WAR Teaser Future Film Festival aka MANWTFFF ( Los Angeles, California USA); Porn Film Festival Vienna PFFV 2021 (Vienna, Austria), FINNOF International Festival of New Non Fiction Narratives, FINALIST in category VR 2021 (Condor, Santa Fe Argentina); International Queer Film Festival Playa del Carmen 2021 (Playa del Carmen, QRoo, Mexico) and more.
AntiGonna work and lives between Kyiv, Odesa and Paris.
https://filmfreeway.com/AntiGonStaff
https://antigonstaff.my.cam/
https://secondaryarchive.org/artists/antigonna/