Exhibition view Shaving of the Christ
2022.
Ria Keburia foundation, Georgia

Object from the project Shaving of the Christ.
2022.
Ceramic, glue, strips.
105x18x20 cm (41,3x7x7,8 in)

Object from the project Shaving of the Christ.
2022.
Ceramic, glue, strips.
110x19x20 cm (43,3x7,4x7,8 in)

Exhibition view Shaving of the Christ
2022.
Ria Keburia foundation, Georgia

Graphic from the project Shaving of the Christ.
2022.
Pencil on paper (300gsm, fabriano paper).
42x29,7 cm (16,5x11,6 in)

Graphic from the project Shaving of the Christ.
2022.
Pencil on paper (300gsm, fabriano paper).
42x29,7 cm (16,5x11,6 in)

Video still from the project Shaving of the Christ.
2022.
3d animation, sound, color; 3:07 min

Object from the project Shaving of the Christ.
Fragment.
2022.
Ceramic, metal, acrylic paint.
240x110x60 cm (94,4x43,3x23,6in)

Object from the project Shaving of the Christ.
Fragment.
2022.
Ceramic, metal, acrylic paint.
240x110x60 cm (94,4x43,3x23,6in)

Object from the project Shaving of the Christ.
2022.
Ceramic, metal, acrylic paint.
240x110x60 cm (94,4x43,3x23,6in)

Shaving of the Christ

In his residency project, Nikita Seleznev used a metaphorical reference to an image of Jesus Christ. Seleznev reflected on how individual human life is devalued in authoritarian regimes. The central part of the project was a 3D animation piece showcasing the process of Christ shaving his head. The artist associates the act of shaving with both militarism and a gesture of liberation;

“I was driven to the process of shaving hair and how this simple ritual, depending on the context, can be so liberating or dooming. Imagine a person who shaves their hair with a clipper, and then runs a hand through the stubble of coarse hair. I compare it to the shaving scene from Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, when the barber turns the left and right heads of young soldiers.“

It is hard to imagine that a Christ character was being coerced into the military. However, it was the beginning point for Seleznev’s project. The collision of opposing characters is the main method that Nikita uses in his work. In his sculpture, two figures lean one over the other, with expressions of anger frozen on their faces. The two bodies replicate the poses of crucifixion and kneeling, creating ambiguity.

Technology: Grigory Baluev

Photo documentation: Lima Lipa, Egor Slizyak