Wille M, Despite its excellence, 2021-2024

Postcard, thread, 10.5 x 15 cm

"Postcards from the Motherland" is a collection of postcards purchased from "Belsoyuzpechat" kiosks or state post offices in 2021-2023, complete with embroidery.
This series constitutes both a collection and a diary. The author embroidered short messages for an unknown addressee on the back of the postcards, in the space provided for the message.
The artist uses excerpts from interviews, short reports from Belarusian law enforcement agencies and state media. Embroidery, seen in a patriarchal environment as a harmless, quiet domestic pastime for women, turns out to be a political medium in the field of correspondence. The monotonous work of embroidery is transformed into an act of censorship by the authorities, who deprive individuals of their rights.
The inscriptions, done in thick black stitch, deliberately do not match the postcards - seemingly nice, bureaucratic statements form dark tumors amidst spring flowers for Women's Day or golden balloons for New Year's Eve.
"Postcards from the Fatherland" have no addressee. Those to whom they are intended will not read them.
It is not safe to say or write anything. That's why I'm only speaking in phrases that have already been spoken by government officials within the scope of the project in question. These are words that have already been "authorized".
A well-known saying of L. Wittgenstein's "What cannot be spoken of, must be kept silent about" ceases to be transformed into logical and linguistic discrepancies between linguistic structures and the world, and becomes a complete impossibility of speaking in language...."
Anna Karpenko

"Series of objects "Postcards from Homeland" is a collection of postcards purchased at Belsoyuzpechat kiosks or state post offices during the years 2021 - 2023 completed with embroidery.
This series is both a collection and a diary. She embroidered short communiques for an unknown addressee on the back side of postcards in the field for a message.
The artist uses fragments of interviews, brief reports of Belarusian law enforcement agencies and state media. Embroidery, perceived within the patriarchal environment as a harmless silent women's domestic leisure activity, turns out to be a political medium in the field of correspondence. Monotonous embroidery transforms into an act of censoring authorities who disenfranchise individuals.
Written in stitches with coarse black threads, deliberately mismatched for greeting cards, the pointless bureaucratic statements form dark swellings among spring flowers for March 8 or golden New Year's Eve balloons.
"Postcards from Homeland" have no addressee. Those to whom they are intended will not read them.
It is not safe to say or write whatever you want. That is why she speaks only in phrases that have already been said by government officials in this project. The words that have been "authorized".
A famous maxim of L. Wittgenstein "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent1" is no longer transformed into a logical and linguistic discrepancy between language structures and the world they describe, but into a total impossibility to speak in the linguistic..."
Anna Karpenko