Mail to Genya

Genya, tell us a little bit about you?
I am originally from Moscow and have started my artistic career with Russian exhibitions. It was an excited time, when artists were occupying old abandoned buildings to show and create their art there. Then I begun to take part in international exhibitions starting with some art shows in Italy. It was a great experience and I became to get familiar with art scene in Europe. In 2013 I met Roy Hofer during the Onesize art show in Basel. Our collaboration has been very fruitful. We worked together at several art projects and exhibitions, both in Europe and Russia, and I am very happy and proud to be a core member of the a-space gallery that is lead by Roy.
 
 
Your art is at the moment in a transformation? Can you tell us how this new project for the CAMPBASEL show begun to evolve?
My art is always evolving. I am used to develop artistic series that may last for a few years and then start something new. The project that I show in the CAMPABASEL is a product of both art and science and it has been possible thanks to technical skills of my husband-engineer. My next installation has an interactive shape and speaks about human being and the new technology.
 
 
Technical aspects in a project can be sometimes tricky. What is important to double check if you do a project abroad?
It is definitely not trivial to organize exhibition abroad, even inside Europe. First of all it is important to know the logistic and the bureaucracy of different country. Speaking the local language may help a lot, as most the information is not in English. For instance, speaking Italian and German helps me a lot with that. It is very important to know the customs rules of your country to ship artworks abroad, especially in case of no-EU countries.
 
 
Where will the new technology lead us?
We will be surrounded by technology. Almost every object we will use, will be somehow intelligent and most likely connected. Art will be touched too.
 
 
What should CAMPvisitors do? Are you going to interact with them?
One of the goals of my installation is to engage with visitors. @Voyager_mirror is a mirror that reflects an image not only on its surface but also on the hyperspace. When a CAMPvisitor pushes the button on the mirror, @Voyager_mirror will post his/her photo immediately on its Twitter account. This photo is like a message in the bottle, sent into the “Internet Ocean” and every CAMPvisitor can leave a trace of their visit.
 

Is this the only way people can meet you online or do you have other links?
I am always available on my Facebook page “Genya Krikova” and through my website www.genyakrikova.com. I am happy to contact with other artists and visitors to talk about art.