honorable mention
Elena Anosova russian federation
title
Section
I spent few months, working in several prisons for women in the Siberia.
While working on the project, I realized that, to a large extend, prison community is a model of our “society”; perhaps, a bit more brazen and visceral. It is quite possible that the recognition of a prison as the periphery of the social, as the border of civilization, lies at the very base of this heady mixture of romantic enchantment, revulsion and opaque, viscous fear.
Nobody is protected from the caring attention of a flaming eye and its penetrating laser beams. On a macro-social level this control is being realized through a dense network of administrative decrees and regulations; on a micro-social ground floor it is imposed via mesh of unsaid rules and unwritten sub-tribal protocols. In any case there is a wide variety of punitive measures and instruments capable of inflicting punishment of varying degrees of cruelty.
In the enclosed space of prison a woman is always in the position of being watched, observed. She is deprived of any - even fictitious or imaginary - possibility to be alone. Many years of complete nudity and the loss of intimate space cripple a personality that is placed in a society as merciless as it sees fit to crimes committed.
is currently based in Moscow and Irkutsk.
Anosova’s work is centered around lives of women in closed institutions.
The impulse of research of such communities arose in a reflection of her teenage period
spent at the closed rehabilitation boarding school. She would like to takes a closer look
at the dynamic interplay of processes of isolation and surveillance, at unique qualities
of emotional and social relationships within restrictions of artificially insulated societies.
Also Elena Anosova works with subjects of borders, identity and collective memory
in the territory of Siberia and Russian Far East.
back to gallery
entry description
The project about women's prisons is a part of a trilogy that is centered around lives of women in closed institutions. The impulse of research of such communities arose in a reflection of my teenage period spent at the closed rehabilitation boarding school. I would like to take a closer look at the dynamic interplay of processes of isolation and surveillance, at unique qualities of emotional and social relationships within restrictions of artificially insulated women's societies.I spent few months, working in several prisons for women in the Siberia.
While working on the project, I realized that, to a large extend, prison community is a model of our “society”; perhaps, a bit more brazen and visceral. It is quite possible that the recognition of a prison as the periphery of the social, as the border of civilization, lies at the very base of this heady mixture of romantic enchantment, revulsion and opaque, viscous fear.
Nobody is protected from the caring attention of a flaming eye and its penetrating laser beams. On a macro-social level this control is being realized through a dense network of administrative decrees and regulations; on a micro-social ground floor it is imposed via mesh of unsaid rules and unwritten sub-tribal protocols. In any case there is a wide variety of punitive measures and instruments capable of inflicting punishment of varying degrees of cruelty.
In the enclosed space of prison a woman is always in the position of being watched, observed. She is deprived of any - even fictitious or imaginary - possibility to be alone. Many years of complete nudity and the loss of intimate space cripple a personality that is placed in a society as merciless as it sees fit to crimes committed.
about the photographer
Originally hailing from the picturesque region of Baikal, artist Elena Anosova (born in 1983)is currently based in Moscow and Irkutsk.
Anosova’s work is centered around lives of women in closed institutions.
The impulse of research of such communities arose in a reflection of her teenage period
spent at the closed rehabilitation boarding school. She would like to takes a closer look
at the dynamic interplay of processes of isolation and surveillance, at unique qualities
of emotional and social relationships within restrictions of artificially insulated societies.
Also Elena Anosova works with subjects of borders, identity and collective memory
in the territory of Siberia and Russian Far East.
back to gallery