Natalia Kopkina's exhibition at Studio Mältinranta
14.5.2024
12.00 - 18.00
Mältinranta Artcenter, Kuninkaankatu 2, 33210 Tampere
Time stands still in the black and white silver gelatin prints of the Figura 2 photo exhibition. The human characters that Natalia Kopkina encountered in France in 2021 will take on a new form in the photo series.
The word 'figura' can mean a form, a figure, especially the representation of the human body as a picture, the shape of the human body, or the representation of any form by drawing, painting, shaping, carving, etc. The term can also refer to a sketch or drawing, a figure of speech, the form of words and speech, the essence, to a person or thing that represents a certain consciousness, impression or act, showiness or pomp, and a numerical value or quantity.
Time stands still in the black and white silver gelatin prints of the Figura 2 photo exhibition at Studio Mältinranta. The human figures encountered by Natalia Kopkina in France in 2021 take on a new form in a photo series called Close-ups, where she enlarges details from film negatives. In the series "Scenes", time and the momentary nature of the filming situation are the topics. Kopkina is interested in how photography and the human body communicate exclusively through visual language, and what kind of awareness or impression the frozen moments create.
"As a photographer, I enjoy when I can be inconspicuous and observe people's activities from the side. I like observing people, and I draw my attention to characters and situations that for most people are imperceptible."
The exhibition is part of the artist's larger project with a manifesto theme, which she started in 2016, in which she examines the essence of contemporary photography and strives to find suitable ways of making photographic art. The project's first exhibition, Studies and notes, was on display at Valokuvagalleria Hippolyte in 2020, and in the spring of 2024, the project's latest solo exhibitions will be seen, of which the exhibition at the Mältinranta Artcenter is the second part. The first part of the exhibition, Figura 1, was exhibited in Helsinki at HAA Galleria in February 2024.
Natalia Kopkina from Helsinki is interested in people, the past and the essence of photography. In her work, craftsmanship and small-scale and voluntary work are emphasized. She is actively involved in the promotion of analog photography and is a founding member of Suomen Pimiötaiteilijat ry and the Mörk darkroom located in Helsinki. In addition to working in the darkroom, in 2018 Kopkina founded the non-profit publishing house I am not Publishing for artists' books and photo-based publications. Kopkina graduated with a master's degree in art from Aalto University in 2015.
Time stands still in the black and white silver gelatin prints of the Figura 2 photo exhibition at Studio Mältinranta. The human figures encountered by Natalia Kopkina in France in 2021 take on a new form in a photo series called Close-ups, where she enlarges details from film negatives. In the series "Scenes", time and the momentary nature of the filming situation are the topics. Kopkina is interested in how photography and the human body communicate exclusively through visual language, and what kind of awareness or impression the frozen moments create.
"As a photographer, I enjoy when I can be inconspicuous and observe people's activities from the side. I like observing people, and I draw my attention to characters and situations that for most people are imperceptible."
The exhibition is part of the artist's larger project with a manifesto theme, which she started in 2016, in which she examines the essence of contemporary photography and strives to find suitable ways of making photographic art. The project's first exhibition, Studies and notes, was on display at Valokuvagalleria Hippolyte in 2020, and in the spring of 2024, the project's latest solo exhibitions will be seen, of which the exhibition at the Mältinranta Artcenter is the second part. The first part of the exhibition, Figura 1, was exhibited in Helsinki at HAA Galleria in February 2024.
Natalia Kopkina from Helsinki is interested in people, the past and the essence of photography. In her work, craftsmanship and small-scale and voluntary work are emphasized. She is actively involved in the promotion of analog photography and is a founding member of Suomen Pimiötaiteilijat ry and the Mörk darkroom located in Helsinki. In addition to working in the darkroom, in 2018 Kopkina founded the non-profit publishing house I am not Publishing for artists' books and photo-based publications. Kopkina graduated with a master's degree in art from Aalto University in 2015.