Pavel Rotts

Artist's country of origin: Finland

Pavel Rotts (born 1982) is a Helsinki based artist working with a variety of techniques and forms of contemporary practice, including conceptual art, performance, sound-art, experimental music, installation, sculpture, video etc. Pavel previously studied at St.Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, graduated from Pro Arte Institute, St.Petersburg before undertaking the BFA in at the University of Arts Helsinki.

Rotts has participated in numerous exhibitions, events and concerts in Russia and Finland. Сo-organizer of annual festival Убежище/Suoja/Shelter, Helsinki and Sörä Ääni festival. Besides an active artistic practice, he is also involved in a variety of music and sound projects, collaborations with artists like Vlad Kulkov, Mikhail Zaikanov, Dmitry Zherbin, musicians Ksenia Fedorova (KUBIKMAGGI), poet Roman Osminkin and Techno Poezia project, or Co-founding of Helsinki based project Ruido. Co-founder of the SAHSAPASHA artist duo. SASHAPASHA duo’s performances, Rotts’s solo gigs and sound works were presented in such places as Acusmata gallery, Alkovi gallery, Vapaan Taiteen Tila, Maa-tila, Vaga gallery in Finland and the New Stage of Alexandrinsky Theatre, Erarta, Hermitage 20/21, New Holland, Luda Gallery, Art reFlex gallery, Sound museum and Radio museum in Russia.

In his work, Rotts explores the legacy of The soviet Union/socialism /the Soviets in contemporary culture, through collective and personal memories, and historical trauma of the Gulag system. Some of his works are based on the idea of sound as an aggressive medium, used in propaganda and examines its interaction with human perception. Despite the serious topic, Rotts keeps a playful approach working with the material.