We Are But Dust and Shadows: Artist Spotlight Nika Neelova
Forget everything you know about time. This September, a journey into the deep, resonant folds of history awaits in Paris. NIKA Project Space is set to open UMBRA, a solo exhibition by the profoundly insightful artist Nika Neelova, and it promises to be an unmissable event for anyone captivated by memory, material, and the ghosts of our collective past.
Neelova, a master of what she calls “reverse archaeology,” doesn’t just make sculptures; she conjures portals. Using reclaimed architectural materials and ancient substances, she bypasses straightforward history to retrieve the hidden stories sleeping within inanimate things. Her work is an act of spiritual listening, and in UMBRA, she has composed a symphony of whispers from across the ages.
The title, meaning “shadow,” is your first clue. This show is an exploration of the intangible—the memories that cling to objects, the beliefs that evaporate like tears, the knowledge passed hand-over-hand until it becomes instinct. Drawing inspiration from a transformative residency at London’s labyrinthine Sir John Soane Museum, Neelova rejects the idea of time as a straight line. Instead, she collapses centuries into a single, immersive moment, creating a space where you can feel the simultaneous presence of the distant past and the immediate now.
Imagine standing before ‘Lacrymatories,’ sculptures based on ancient Roman tear catchers. But these are no mere replicas; crafted from water-soluble glass, they are quite literally disappearing. As they interact with the air and the artist's own tears sealed within, they slowly dissolve before your eyes. This is not static art—it is a live performance of impermanence, a breathtakingly beautiful and melancholic meditation on how grief and memory eventually fade.
Elsewhere, you’ll encounter the ‘Lemniscate’ series: infinite loops carved from wooden bannisters salvaged from since-demolished houses. Run your gaze along their curves and you are following the ghostly imprint of a century of human hands. These are not just sculptures; they are portraits of lost homes and anonymous lives, a tangible connection to people and places that are otherwise just dust. They guide you, even in the absence of a body to hold them.
The exhibition reaches into truly cosmic scales with works like ‘Beghost,’ where roses are crafted from fossilized sharks' teeth millions of years old. Here, the fleeting week-long life of a flower is married to the incomprehensible vastness of deep time. It’s a piece that echoes with medieval myths of dragons and celestial events, reminding us that our ancestors also grappled with the mysteries of the earth beneath their feet, leaving behind a legacy of wonder in their explanations.
This September, step out of the Parisian light and into the profound and poetic shadows of Nika Neelova’s world. You will leave seeing the traces of time everywhere.
UMBRA by Nika Neelova
Opening 14 September 2024
NIKA Project Space, Paris
