Audiences who walked into the exhibition space were immediately attracted by works illuminating with strong fluorescent green. This series is from Tkachenko ‘s project “Acid(2019)”. Air pollution, viruses, and even radiation are undetected by the eye but remains as threats to the human race. As Tkachenko observes, in mass culture, acidic colours are often adopted to represent these threats to symbolize their dangers, yet these colours have no direct connection to their physical appearance. The psychological defence when it comes in contact with the unknown or hazards is often repression and denial. A sense of apocalypse is formed under a fantasy pictured by human beings. By making the fictional representation clash with actual pollution, Tkachenko uses projectors with a green filter to expose and identify places contaminated by radiation. He seeks to bring attention to real-world problems from imaginary planes.

Acid #29, Rail car of the liquidators, Ukraine
One of the rail cars used to transport the people tasked with cleaning up the consequences of the explosion of a reactor at a nuclear power plant in 1986. They had to work in the harshest radioactive conditions. Most of them were unable to assess the risks that they assumed, as the level of radiation was not disclosed.  According to some estimates, 25,000 liquidators died and 70,000 became disabled. The total number of liquidators is unknown – according to some sources there were 1,000,000.

Acid #23, Installation at the site of a buried village, Ukraine
After a reactor exploded at a nuclear power plant in 1986, a vast area home to numerous population centres was contaminated. Some of the villages suffered vast doses of radiation. As a result,  the authorities decided to bury radioactive buildings under the earth. I managed to ascertain the location of the buried buildings. I installed at this site powerful light projectors pointing skywards.

If you would like to know more background stories of each work, we welcome you to come to the gallery in person!

Russia: Danila Tkachenko’s Solo Exhibition
Duration｜2022.03.05－2022.05.07
Venue｜UP Gallery