nowhere, 2022

A 250 meters long red carpet made out of polypropylene, made directly in the landscape, stretches across a snowy forest. Surrounded by a natural landscape, a linden alley, the canvas seems almost endless. “Here, perspective becomes the artist’s means of expression,” writes Russia’s critic Mikhail Sidlin about the work. 

Orekhov’s new installation can be compared with the works of Eric Bulatov, however it was realized not on a picturesque plane, but in Kazimir Malevich’s park, which gives the work an additional meaning — the artist’s shift into geometric abstraction, while maintaining the initial reality intact. 

Historically, the red carpet has carried a ceremonial meaning — the path of the winners. Since the time of Agamemnon, the red carpet has been laid out to welcome leaders and royalty, attributing them to a divine spark. In Soviet times, the sacred color - red - marked the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and official occasions. Today, in Los Angeles at the Oscar ceremony or the Cannes film festival, the red carpet has been extended to use by celebrities and Olympian gods. Walking along Orekhov’s red canvas, the visitor finds oneself taking on the role of a ruler but in the end is too fascinated by the surrounding landscape. Orekhov emphasizes that the desire for fame, wealth and power is insignificant when it comes to the greatness of the universe and nature. However, “Nowhere” cannot be limited to one interpretation. The artist asks the audience the following question: where is the red line, the forbidden line that must not be crossed under any circumstances? Every day we witness more and more violations of the border, and the latter themselves seem to be more and more mobile.The opportunity to interact with Orekhov’s work, to literally cross the red line, allows one to look at the problem from a new angle and redraw for oneself the boundary of what is acceptable.