Solaris 2022
Photography, Digital Painting
Series: For all mankind
Dimension: 180 x 156 cm / 110 x 95 cm / 60 x 52 cm
Archival Pigment Print
Concept of the artwork Solaris:
Solaris orbits a binary star system in a complex path near Alpha Aquarius, as described by Stanislaw Lem in his novel. The planet is almost entirely covered by a vast, intelligent ocean that not only reacts to its environment but consciously corrects its orbit. This sentient entity manifests physical simulacra, including human-like "guests" that appear on the research station—seemingly rational beings, yet their purpose remains beyond human comprehension. Lem wrote, *“The meaning of this seemingly rational activity of the Solarian Ocean is beyond the reach of human beings.”* Inspired by both Lem’s novel and Tarkovsky’s film adaptation, I see a parallel between the Solaris Ocean and human consciousness, which often generates its own phantoms—illusions and memories that shape our choices and define our actions.
Moonrise 2022
Photography, Digital Painting
Series: For all mankind
Dimension: 180 x 156 cm / 110 x 95 cm / 60 x 52 cm
Archival Pigment Print
Concept of the series "For all mankind":
For All Mankind envisions a world where humanity’s dreams of space never fade. It is a story of ambition, wonder, and the desire to reach beyond our world, even as we struggle with life on Earth. The series explores how exploration shapes our choices, our fears, and our hopes for a better future. It reminds us that space is not just a place beyond our reach—it is a reflection of our imagination, our longing, and our ability to create new realities. In a universe full of unknowns, we find meaning not just in discovery but in the stories we tell ourselves.
Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by COCA.
Katerina Belkina
Russian Federation
Early on Katerina Belkina knew about her exceptional talent to see the world through different eyes. Born in Samara in the southeast of European Russia, she was brought up in a creative atmosphere by her mother, a visual artist. Her education as painter at the Art Academy and from 2000 at the school for Photography of Michael Musorin in Samara gave her the tools to visualize her ideas. Exhibitions of her sublime, mystic self-portraits ensued in Moscow and Paris. In 2007 Katerina Belkina was nominated for the prestigious Kandinsky Prize (comparable to the British Turner Prize) in Moscow. Recently she got the Hasselblad Masters Prize. Currently she lives and works in Werder (Havel) near Berlin.