"Two out of ten people who see it just break down in tears," says artist Alexandr Milov of his sculpture "Love" - the first such Ukrainian-created artwork to be displayed at the Burning Man "radical art" festival.
“I don’t know whether they are on dope or something…” Milov goes on, smiling.
Milov’s modesty is misplaced: Whether under the influence of drugs or not, nobody could fail to be affected by his immensely powerful and moving piece – two gigantic forms of a man and a woman, picked out by a framework of iron pipes, sitting dejectedly back to back, their heads on their knees, while inside each the translucent form of a child reaches out to the other.
“(The adults’) inner selves are executed in the form of transparent children, who are holding out their hands through the grating,” the description of the artwork reads. At night, the forms of the children, lit from within, shine in the dark, symbolizing purity and sincerity, according to the artist.
Milov says that idea of the sculpture was simple and intelligible, and that it had come to him about six years ago. But he hadn’t expected it to be such a hit at the Burning Man festival, held each year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. He puts it down to the personalities of his U.S. hosts.
“Americans are pretty closed people, and so for them, this topic of sincerity is very relevant,” he says.
The artist says lovers can become prisoners of their sins, and unable to be open. “When you’re in a relationship for a long time, there are always conflicts, and all this is similar to what I made in the sculpture,” he says.
Remarkably, Odesa-born Milov hasn’t had much experience as a sculptor – this is his first major work. He worked as an architect for 15 years, and then as a filmmaker. Now, as a member of the Takoe art group, Milov combined all those skills to create the 9-meter, four-ton sculpture
Milov spent $60,000 to build “Love” and transport it to Nevada. Part of the money for the materials to make the sculpture came from a Burning Man grant, but the artist had to fund the rest of it himself. “I had money for an apartment, but I decided to implement my idea, and at least have fun,” Milov says.
The statue was first built in Ukraine, then carefully dismantled for the two-month sea voyage in a shipping container to the United States. Once delivered by truck to the Nevada desert, it took four days to reassemble the piece, involving a team of around 60 people during all process.
One of those who helped erect the work was Vitaliy Deynega, one of the founders of the Back and Alive charity organization, which supports the Ukrainian army. Deynega says he had dreamed of attending Burning Man for six years, so he jumped at the chance to participate with the Ukrainian team taking part in the festival.
“At the moment, it’s the most interesting event on Earth,” Deynega says.
This year Burning Man gathered 70,000 people, who set up camp in a temporary settlement in the Nevada desert for eight days from Aug. 29. to Sept. 5. Participants represented their country with traditional music, food, and artworks, wore ornate costumes, and attended the festival’s main ending attraction – the burning of a giant wooden sculpture of a man.
Even though Burning Man is open to any kind of art, the organizers pick artworks that match the atmosphere and theme of the year. This year the event title was “The Carnival of Mirrors.” Burning Man attracts hundreds people, but the limited tickets, costing $390, sell out in a day.
“Love” won’t be going back to Ukraine: the artist and his team instead plan to sell the piece in the United States. “Some people from the Republic of South Africa want to buy it and put it on an embankment, but all sorts of options are under discussion,” Milov says.
However, Milov plans to create a copy of the work for his hometown of Odesa. The new “Love” will be built from stronger materials, he says, as the 3-millimeter polymer used to make the children within the iron frame has already become brittle.
Milov now receives around hundred letters every day from people asking for permission to use photos of the work. He has even created miniature versions, encased in a block of Perspex, for fans of the piece.
Kyiv Post staff writer Yuliana Romanyshyn can be reached at [email protected]
