Saatchi Gallery, London
13 January – 9 March 2015
In January 2016, an exhibition by Azeri and Russian artist Aidan Salakhova opened in Saatchi Gallery with support from international businesswoman and philanthropist Elena Baturina. Baturina, who is Russian but now resides in London, provided support to the ‘Revelations’ exhibition, which showcases the work Salakhova across painting, drawing, video and sculpture.
Aidan Salakhova is an artist based in Moscow and Carrara, Italy, who works in sculpture, painting, drawing and video. Revelations, curated by Jenny Christensson, will bring together new work, alongside works exhibited at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art in 2012.
Revelations opens with two rooms dedicated to the artist’s earlier series: the veiled figures that contain references to traditional and religious symbols and set out to deconstruct and challenge the patriarchal order. The second half of the exhibition showcases new work, including a provocative video installation exploring the erotic potential of the veil, the archetype of the dominatrix and the fantasy of female domination and male submission. In her new sculptural work Salakhova returns to the human form with representations of both the female and male nude; these are rendered in granite or marble following the techniques and principles of classical sculpture.
Mrs. Baturina said: “It is a great pleasure to support the careers of artists as creative and daring as Aidan Salakhova. I applaud the Saatchi Gallery for dedicating an entire floor to showcase her works, as they celebrate 30-year anniversary of the gallery.”