Yuriy Bolsa

Yuriy Bolsa’s installation I Have Always Wanted to be Here creates an illusion of a homey, comfortable space, which is surreally transformed by the artist’s presence. Through three interconnected elements, he explores the possibility of changing his personality, gradually recreating each of the steps in an imaginary rebirth.

Bolsa explores vulnerable aspects of personality through his avatar, a bizarre character in a costume. A massive suit on a metal frame suggests that this is a defense mechanism, used to hide the wearer’s vulnerability behind a façade of aggression. The installation seems to invite the audience to take a seat at the table and start a conversation. The voice from the costume encourages conversation, shares predictions, compliments, or personal stories.

The second half of the costume is sitting on a swing — the legs, from which a new body of a future strong and kind personality is growing. The playground element recreates the untroubled joy of childhood and is complemented by a photo of a cat who lived in the artist’s village.

The final part of the transformation is a model of the artist’s head, which seems to have just been pulled out of the water. This head, which has been forming under a black mask for a long time, has finally freed itself and is ready to join the newly formed body. Yuriy Bolsa creates a space where comfort is born from your willingness to hear and be heard. This is a place where you can seek support even in the most bizarre transformations.