Aubergines

video, 0'43" / 2009

Funny, ironic, and self-ironic videos are essential to Sergeyi Bratkov's multidisciplinary artistic practice. Most of these videos (often co-written with his brother, architect Yurii Bratkov), which feature the artists as scriptwriters, performers, and directors, were created in the city of Pivdenne, Kharkiv region. In the self-ironic, grotesque Aubergines, filmed there in 2009, Bratkov refers to the Cossacks by Repin and directs to laughter as a fundamental human value that becomes even more in demand in times of crisis. Laughter, a key element in Ilya Repin's painting "Zaporozhian Cossacks are Writing a Letter to the Turkish Sultan," allows us to make a bold political gesture to find our identity, personifying the power of spirit and freedom. Ostensibly following this tradition, Bratkov uses irony as an opportunity to take a ruthless and honest look at ourselves. Today, this laughter helps us overcome tragic and seemingly hopeless moments in our lives. It becomes an essential tool for finding at least a temporary sense of security, giving us distance and opening up new perspectives on the "neighborhood."