The Potemkin village is a concept familiar to any foreigner who reads books about Russia. It penetrates history and has become a part of the image of Russia and the unspoken differentiations in its politics, economics and culture. Showing off, wishful thinking, and fear of the authority figure are the attitudes and behaviors that promoted the establishment of two alternative realities – official and real life.  What is behind the fence in Nadezhda Anfalova’s photographic project? Genuine happiness or persistent sorrow? Is there a new life or a dull death? Is there yet another commercial poster or a meaningless heap of forgotten belongings? Or is it most important who is standing in front of the fence, on this side? And the position that the viewer chooses in reality, when standing in front of Potemkin fence? A fence, a border, an obstacle – the language offers quite a number of synonyms. Nadezhda Anfalova’s project renders the idea of delimitation and alienation (again, there are many synonyms) and poses a global question: why is void so fearful and why is it always frightening for the people to show its presence?

Dmitry Ozerkov