The sprawling array of images, which range everywhere from aspiring adult film stars to scenes of pastoral life, are chosen for their purposefully boring or banal qualities. They are selected strictly for their instant aesthetic appeal and for their malleability on paper. Christian and Pagan idols are paralleled by Communist leaders, buildings, and weapons. Nanushyan is neither critiquing nor moralising these opposing figures, but rather likening all religious, military, and political beings to Lovecraftian spectres of death. “CCCP!?” is a work that marks the artist’s first foray into video installation.

An imaginary city composed of monochromatic, architectural renderings of realised and unrealised Soviet monuments transforms into a liminal world inhabited by marching units of mechanised bronze statues.Like the accompanying sculptures in “O1”, a monotone colour scheme is maintained in this video as an act of unification, not for purposes of simply matting or muting. Aerial coverage of this fictitious city surveys the vestiges of the Soviet Union, highlighting the insidious ways in which a cult of personality can be inscribed upon the built environment.

This virtual world is perhaps an animated interpretation of the surrounding works, where life courses through the sites, streets, and civil engineering projects memorialised through the paintings and sculptures.“O1” is an exhibition that can be viewed less as a collection of disparate parts and more as a way of envisioning a novel type of social sculpture. It functions as a set piece, with painting serving as a backdrop, sculpture as a form of prop, and video as a programmable device.

In its immersive and evocative portrayal of a virtual cityscape, Nanushyan’s video installation “CCCP!?” is reminiscent of the atmospheric world depicted in Ilya Masodov’s novel “The Darkness of Your Eyes.” Just as Masodov’s narrative delves into the depths of psychological turmoil and existential angst, Nanushyan’s video invites viewers to explore the complexities of a dystopian landscape. Through this connection to Masodov’s work, “O1” not only reflects on the haunting echoes of the past but also offers a compelling vision of a future tinged with uncertainty and introspection.