Series I - XIV
"Dostoyevsky and Disney II" 2006
B&w-photograph, overpainted

Dostoyevsky and Disney
Dostoyevsky described the human abysses. But he forgives people and accepts them, even if they have capitulated before the world. Aleksandra Koneva’s black-and-white photos tell stories of the buildings and rear courtyards in St. Petersburg, into which she paints the famous figures of the Disney world: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Daisy Duck. She opens the view to everyday Russian life and the “little man’s” attempts to adapt, as in Dostoyevsky’s world. She dares ask what happens when the Disney figures are placed in such surroundings. The answer could be, “Oh, wonderful, they’ve survived it, they’ve changed and now look like ordinary Russians!” Even Disneyland has already adjusted to the culture.