The Triumph Gallery presents the exhibition Sanctuary. Coda by Krasnoyarsk-based artist Elina Gusarova. The exhibition will feature photography, textile installations, sound, and a photobook. A central thread of the project is an exploration of inner freedom and the forces that shape and transform communities, identity, and history. At its core lies the phenomenon of the Krasnoyarsk Stolby—syenite rock formations on the border of the city and the taiga, where a tradition of free climbing has existed since the 19th century. Here, a distinct subculture of "stolbists" has emerged, with its own rituals, legends, and way of life.

Night Owls
2020
Wood, photography, UV print
12×18 cm

The Triumph Gallery presents the exhibition Sanctuary. Coda by Krasnoyarsk-based artist Elina Gusarova. The exhibition will feature photography, textile installations, sound, and a photobook. A central thread of the project is an exploration of inner freedom and the forces that shape and transform communities, identity, and history. At its core lies the phenomenon of the Krasnoyarsk Stolby—syenite rock formations on the border of the city and the taiga, where a tradition of free climbing has existed since the 19th century. Here, a distinct subculture of "stolbists" has emerged, with its own rituals, legends, and way of life.

Since 2015, Gusarova has been documenting this community—from early photographic observations as an outsider to an in-depth exploration of the relationship between humans and the natural and cultural landscape as a participant. Over the course of ten years, the project has evolved from a chronicle of everyday life into a form of myth-making, incorporating photographic series, collected myths and songs, the photobook EOS, and new textile objects. The Moscow exhibition Sanctuary. Coda serves as the final chapter of this long-term research, summarizing an important stage in the artist’s practice. At the same time, the project continues the trajectory of Triumph Gallery in supporting regional art scenes and connects to the Triumph Photo direction, which explores the boundaries of contemporary photographic art.

Curator: Kristina Romanova