Born in Luhansk, Ukraine, Oleksandr Yeltsin now lives and works in Kyiv. A major part of his creative work involves participatory art practices. Oleksandr researches topics that interest him through dialogue and interaction. For him the process is no less important than the result. In his works he uses photography, video, audio and text.
Oleksandr did his research in Baku by taking walks, either alone or with a companion. In the first case, the main purpose is to perceive the city from scratch, without anyone else’s commentaries. The artist himself decided what was interesting and where to go. In the second type of walk, the companion chose the route. Through a dialogue with his companion, the artist learned about the city’s past, present, and possible future.
The people who accompanied Oleksandr on the walks were be from different fields of life with different knowledge. The dialogue was meant to be free and spontaneous. Oleksandr also intended to make a number of artistic utterances based on his observations and the knowledge he acquires of the city. These took the form of interventions in a public space, photo and video works.
