Mikheil Gogava, looking at the old walls as a child, vividly imagined how various animals and abstract figures move there, and he felt an irresistible desire to transfer his fantasies and thoughts to a sheet of paper. In the residency, he was able to fulfill this desire. „The inspiration for this series was a dream I had one winter morning. What did these strange, headless animals want to say? They were represented as pigs which I transfered to my works. I realized that pigs are very similar to humans. This animal became the main character of my concept, the hero who can always undergo a transformation, as in the works.“
Gogava’s journey to Saaremaa had a symbolic beginning at the Caravan Art Forum international art festival in Kutaisi, Georgia. The Okapi Gallery also participated in the festival presenting Estonian authors as well as creating connections for new forms of cooperation, one of which has come to fruition in the case of the current project. At that time, the gallery also represented Steve Vanoni, who was included in the residency project as well.
Vanoni continues to develop his author’s technique, which combines printing with painting and allows to create large-scale works in a relatively short amount of time. For years, Vanoni has been dealing with the subject of Elvis Presley, although he is not a big fan. Perhaps it is the controversial phenomenon of Elvis that attracts him, or the fact that he is considered like Elvis, but in any case, he sees it as an opportunity to push personal boundaries of his work. „Attempting to work in new ways keeps it interesting and fresh. Journeying into the unknown you can find the familiar, the self and the not-self, which is fun to witness and takes a little time to get accustomed to…“
