For today’s interview I would like to thank my dear friend Dmitry Kurbatov for introducing me to the work of this wonderful visual artist, Danila Tkachenko (1989), who lives in Moscow. He studied documentary photography at the  Rodchenko School of Photography and Multimedia and has since exhibited all over the world, and won a World Press Photo first prize for his series Escape. 

Restricted Areas, won the European Publishers Award for Photography a series on Russia’s “secret cities”. Deserted places that were once sites of national importance, abandoned buildings and machinery are now relics of the past.

“I feel like I am an archeologist encountering the traces of a past civilisation in order to understand the reasons [why we] create these objects,” he says.

Greatest inspirations or influences?

• Probably the biggest influence on me is the cinema. The last films that moved me are “Khrustalyov, My Car!” by Aleksei German, and Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s “4” and “Dau”.

• Now I’m interested in the topic of Stalin’s repressions. I believe that this theme has not yet been overcome in contemporary Russia and still has great influence over society.
  
  Most interesting production so far ?

Probably my first project “Escape” about hermits who live in total solitude, far away from civilization. In communication with these people, I got to understand more about how society is organized, and its issues.

How is the art world changing?

I think the very notion of an artist will dissolve, because almost anyone can be an artist representing him or herself in social networks. Art becomes more accessible to any person as the subject of mastering artistic techniques becomes secondary. Now everyone can call themselves an artist if they want to.

Thank you Danila and your studio for the opportunity to talk about your work and inspiration.