Places of power, HDvideo, 2’55’’, Costa Rica 2016 (video excerpt)

THE CHICKEN THIEF
solo exibition, Sotheby’s, Vienna 2016

Michailov's approach to use the works of other artists as a departure point for his own art is applied at Sotheby's according to the situation. Similar to the arrangement for an auction with works by famous artists, Michailov shows a selection of appropriated works in different media, produced independently from each other and in different context. In the photographic work "untitled #29" it was the simple gesture to put on the favourite hand-made sweater "Mondrian Pullover", bought at a flea-market, and with this chameleon kind of identification, to bring the work back into the museum context. During the time of being part of the artists collective Gelatin it was also essential to survive as a single artist. Next to the work on Plastillin Mona Lisa series, he developed a parallel work, an own Plastillin Mona Lisa - a selfportrait, which he signed with his name. This paradox raises the questions about the original, the value of the art work and the artist's name, but also about the artist's identity. In case of the Dürer Hare, to be discovered in the color pencil drawing "dust to dust #13", it is the study of the dirt from the own studio which questions the value of the artistic drawing skills and the drawing as a medium in these days.

The common signifier of all the exhibited works is the examination of the Self and the search for the own existence in the fast moving time of permanent reorientation and image overkill.