The Long Journey

Acrylic on canvas

115 × 90 cm

2023

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The painting The Long Journey depicts a bizarre scene in which impossible combinations of geographical sites and people are collaged together in one devastating landscape, enjoying what seems to be the opening of an art exhibition. After the full-scale war started in Ukraine, the global art world was criticised for keeping a business-as-usual attitude and continuing to open and celebrate exhibitions and art festivals with drinks and parties. As a reaction to the recent and ongoing wars around the Eurasian continent, as well as the discussion about the behaviour of the art world, Alexei Gordin’s commentary includes a bit of hopeful sunshine breaking through the dramatic skies. The soldiers of different nations and political regimes – who should be enemies – have travelled a long way and now have the promise of good company and cultural entertainment. Even in the most shattered cities, people still open art shows and find moments for celebration. What seems nonsensical suddenly becomes almost therapeutic. Life must go on.

About the artist

Alexei Gordin (born in 1989) studied painting in Tallinn and Helsinki and currently lives and works in Tallinn.

Although he has a background as a painter, Gordin fluently uses different media and works with drawing, photography, video, and performance.

The main subject matter of his artistic practice is absurdly stereotypical thinking and behaviour patterns of people in contemporary mass society. Gordin’s works are almost always narrative in nature and often cover exciting or annoying situations. In the early years of his career, filthy slums, empty industrial landscapes, marginalised and stigmatised social groups, and vulgar jokes constituted the core atmosphere of Gordin’s work.

The harsh reality of the art world has now become one of his main topics and the artist has himself become the protagonist. Scenes scattered with black humour deconstruct the image of the professional art world as something elitist and glamorous.

Gordin has won several photography competitions and in 2017 he was awarded the Young Painters’ Prize in Vilnius.

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