Animation by Katrīna Sadovņikova

Last week, the ISSP Gallery opened the second exhibition in a series that reflects several artists’ versions and interpretations of the processes of writing the history of local photography. One of the participants is the artist Konstantin Zhukov, who, continuing his exploration of queer history, focuses on the Latvian National Opera. In the Nice Touch section, Konstantīns talks about a universal tool that he finds useful in both his creative process and planning.

Nice Touch Editorial July 12, 2024

«I sketch, think, and plan with pen and paper. A small notebook is always handy on the go, but when I’m at my desk, I have a stack of A4 sheets. They are versatile and often available, even in small grocery shops. Living between two countries and working between several desks, they provide a sense of continuity.

A white sheet seems to give more room for thought and mistakes without being constrained by the strict order of a bound notebook. I fold an A4 sheet into four parts for project planning and six parts for a mini calendar. I glue several sheets together, and a base for the moodboard is ready. I also put a sheet on the wall as a scale reference when photographing exhibition spaces. In addition, the A4 sheets can also be put in the printer! Love it.»

Konstantin Zhukov (1990) lives and works between Riga and London. His creative practice is based on the study of written and oral history, exploring different forms of attraction and sexuality, from the homoerotic poetry of the Islamic Golden Age to the love letters of Oscar Wilde. In recent years, Konstantin has turned his attention to the little studied and documented history of queers in Latvia, which forms the basis for his ongoing series of works, Black Carnation.

 

Konstantin’s work is currently on view not only in the exhibition Contemporary Histories of Photography II at ISSP Gallery (until August 16), but also in the exhibition In the Name of Desire at the Latvian National Museum of Art (until July 28) and in the exhibition on sexuality We Don’t Do This by Baltic artists at the MO Museum in Vilnius (until September 8).