x

Member Log-In

Don't have an account? Register here.

Europe

Aslan Goisum
Volga

In this straightforward, but no less effective video, 24-year-old Aslan Goisum confronts us with the tragic conflict in his native war-torn Chechnya. This partly autobiographical document shows how fleeing families, sometimes by their dozens, try to fit into small cars in search of a safe haven. Goisum develops an intuitive and poetic language that is trying to make sense of the consequences of war and the loss of traditions and identity that go hand in hand with it. When survival is paramount, fragile constructions, like language, fairy tales and symbols, disappear. Memories and family histories become scarce and are often lost entirely. But the fugitive, like Goisum, personifies a new generation. They propose a new, unique leitmotiv. Past and present are shuffled together and generate other symbols and metaphors that secure their continuity as a people.; 4:11 minutes

Chechen artist Aslan Goisum's work engages with memories–collective and personal, political and cultural–to unearth clues about colonial realities, how they have been endured, and how they might be undone. Gosium’s primary artistic tools span moving image, sculptural installation, and various paper-based techniques. Identities frequently come into play in his work, as embodied effects of violence and suffering, but also as potential new beginnings.