VENERA-13

 

video-installation (2019 – 2024)​

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Outer space has always been a screen for humanity's political ideals, often reflected in science fiction. Venera-13 presents an alternative perspective on space exploration, shifting away from traditional narratives of human dominance. Set against the backdrop of the 13th mission to Venus in 1982, the film explores the unconscious motivations behind space technology, giving voice and agency to the machinery involved. At the heart of the story is the lander Venera-13, a spacecraft descending onto Venus's surface, equipped with a pioneering pre-digital camera invented by the artist's grandmother. This camera, dubbed the "telephotometer”, worked for two hours and managed to capture the first colourful images of the planet before dying due to harsh climate conditions. Through a dialogue reminiscent of Bergman's style, co-written with the artist's grandmother, the film unfolds the tragic tale of this non-human protagonist. This Farockian “suicide camera”, personified as a rebellious machine, grapples with self-awareness and the realisation of its role in the Cold War-era space race. As the conversation progresses, the camera confronts its purpose and the exploitation it facilitated, shedding light on the broader themes of imperialism, colonialism and militarism embedded in technology of industrialised vision.

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