Natalie Maximova

VIDEO: GLITCHED RITUALS, UNCANNY REPLICAS. DECODING NATALIE MAXIMOVA’S EPISODES

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As part of our ongoing coverage of Natalie Maximova’sThe Edge of the World, currently exhibited on VRAL, we are delighted to present an essay about Maximova's video piece Episodes (2021).

In recent years, within the context of contemporary art, the appropriation and recontextualization of video game assets has emerged as a powerful practice for artists to explore themes of identity, technology, and digital aesthetics. Through the repurposing of these virtual elements, artists navigate the complex terrain between video art and gaming, forging new pathways of artistic expression and broadening the very definition of machinima. This convergence offers a fertile ground for critical reflection, inviting viewers to ponder both the potential and the limitations of increasingly popular simulated horizons.

One notable exemplar of this artistic investigation is Elaine Hoey’s 2019 mesmerizing video work, Animated Positions. The piece prompts viewers to reconsider the underlying frames and symbolism ingrained within traditional art by juxtaposing it with the domain of video games. Specifically, Hoey delves into the tradition of 19th-century European nationalist paintings, unraveling the intricate role of art in the representation of jingoistic patriotic ideals that have acquired cultural symbolism in nation-state formation. Breathed anew, the bellicose postures and poses of male figures depicted in these historical paintings come to life through character animation sourced from the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty by Activision Blizzard. By comparing digital reenactments of war-like stances with the traditional aesthetics of nationalist art, Animated Positions defies romanticized notions of nostalgia associated with the nation-state, offering a critique of the pervasive violence underpinning modern nationalistic ideologies and the glorification of aggression found in mainstream video games.

When I say that Animated Positions exemplifies the practice of artistic decontextualization, I mean that Hoey skillfully appropriated characters’ animations from their original context, i.e., video games, thereby altering their meaning and relevance as she inserted it somewhere else, i.e, a specific Western tradition of sculpture and painting. The artist employs the strategy of decontextualization to illuminate and offer alternative interpretations by removing an element from its usual context, associations, and intended uses. For example, this approach suggests a connection between the artworld and the gaming milieu, particularly regarding representation. Furthermore, it implies that both art and games can function as forms of propaganda, even if they are not commonly recognized as such. Additionally, the artist proposes that the conventional distinction between high art and the vernacular lacks foundation, as they share similar themes, values, and objectives. Ultimately, Hoey’s use of decontextualization serves as a creative strategy to disrupt prevailing narratives, question societal norms, and foster critical engagement. Animated Positions reframes and reinterprets familiar ideas, inviting viewers to contemplate different perspectives and rethink the underlying assumptions or principles attached to the decontextualized items.

Natalie Maximova’s equally thought-provoking work, Episodes, is another compelling example of critical decontextualization through the repurposing of video game assets…

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Matteo Bittanti

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VIDEO: BENDING SPOONS, FORKING PATHS

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Bending spoons, forking paths: On Natalie Maximova’s There is no spoon


As part of our ongoing coverage of Natalie Maximova’s The Edge of the World, currently exhibited on VRAL, we are delighted to present a video essay about her more recent work There is no spoon (2021).

The phrase “There is no spoon”, echoing through the corridors of cinematic history and bookmarked in the annals of culture virality, is a staple ingredient of simulation theory. This enigmatic utterance alludes at the inexplicability of reality and the illusory constructs that envelop our perception. The alleged, counter intuitive absence of the spoon, therefore, is a puzzle that has ontological and epistemological implications. 

Let’s take a step back and try to unpack the concept.

In the dystopian universe of The Matrix (1999), this mantra emerges as a beacon of truth, challenging the accepted norms of existence. A young boy tells Neo about the paradoxical absence of the mundane utensil to suggest that within a simulation, anything is possible. The boy’s verdict “you’ll see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself” can be read as an invitation to abandon biases, reject prejudices, and recognize the limitations of existing frameworks. On a more philosophical level, the maxim serves as a reminder that the physical manifestations we perceive as tangible objects are but constructs of our mind’s incessant activity, mere facades within the vast labyrinth of simulation. The spoon, a seemingly ordinary tool, becomes a potent metaphor for the illusions that veil our understanding, urging us to question the authenticity and veracity of our perceptions. Recognizing our constraints is the first step toward an epistemological liberation. 

As the narrative threads of simulation theory and video games intertwine, the parallel between the illusory world of The Matrix and the immersive interactive digital experiences becomes apparent. Video games, much like the simulated reality portrayed in the film, transport participants into meticulously crafted worlds, replete with intricately designed environments, characters, and narratives. In this boundless and often groundless domain, players embark on a number of quests, facing challenges and overcoming obstacles, all within a construct devoid of material substance and, perhaps, meaning.

The convergence of simulation theory and video games poses a captivating inquiry into the nature of agency and perception. Within the gaming realm, players navigate these digital landscapes, fully aware of the artifice that underpins their experiences. They become active participants, willingly immersing themselves in simulated realities, where the boundaries of what is real and what is fiction begin to blur. As we previously discussed, this confounding but enthralling situation is at the center of Maximova’s work The Edge of the World which seems to suggest that there’s no such thing as reality, just layers upon layers of simulation, connected by glitched areas, broken portals and literal or metaphorical rabbit holes.

Like its literary predecessor, the phrase “There is no spoon" serves as a poignant reminder of the ultimate conundrum, prompting players and observers alike to question the essence of their digital engagements. Are the avatars we control mere digital extensions of our own consciousness, or are they independent entities with their own sense of existence? Are the trials and triumphs we experience within the digital a reflection of our own realities — thus the underlying logic is memetic — or are they mere constructs of coded algorithms, and therefore purely compensative?

When examined through the lens of simulation theory and game design, this enigmatic observation — “There is no spoon” — confronts us with the profound paradox of existence within constructed realities. It beckons us to peel back the layers of illusion and seek a deeper understanding of the simulacra that shape our perception, understanding, and desires.

This paradox lies at the center of Natalie Maximova’s eponymous video work, which invites the viewer to embark on a profound expedition, akin to traversing a boundless video game devoid of prescribed objectives or known destinations. There is no spoon explicitly references the aforementioned line from The Matrix that explores the intersection of reality as a distinct entity and our perception of it. 

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Matteo Bittanti

This is a Patreon exclusive video. To access the full content consider joining our growing community.

EVENT: NATALIE MAXIMOVA (JUNE 16 - 29 2023, ONLINE)

The Edge of the World

machinima/digital video, color, sound, 8’ 50”, Russia, 2021

Created by Natalie Maximova

A video work that delves into the expansive and boundary-pushing landscapes of the sci-fi video game Cyberpunk 2077, The Edge of the World challenges the conventional perception of endless landscapes, prompting the viewer to question the existence – and perhaps the very meaning – of limits. By exploring the concealed boundaries, documenting the “raw edges” of the game world, and revealing the underlying representational principles, the artist suggests that digital reality is a culturally constructed product. The edges of these virtual realms, with their idiosyncrasies and unexpected functionalities, are not mere endpoints. Instead, they evoke the edges of our familiar world, inviting contemplation and reflection.

Natalie Maximova is an interdisciplinary artist and photographer based in Lausanne, Switzerland. She holds a degree from the ECAL/Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne and has also studied at the Rodchenko Moscow School of Photography and Multimedia. Maximova’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide, including the 6th and 4th Moscow International Biennale for Young Art, the Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Balagan!!! Contemporary Art from Russia and Other Mythical Places in Kühlhaus Berlin and the Tbilisi Night of Photography. Her artworks are included in the permanent collections of the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow and the CitizenM Hotel in Geneva. Maximova’s work has been featured in several publications including Il Giornale dell’Arte, Camera Austria, Bird in Flight, Calvert Journal, and Vice among others. She has also contributed to Screen Images In-Game Photography, Screenshot, Screencast, edited by Winfried Gerling, Sebastian Möring and Marco De Mutiis and published by Kulturverlag Kadmos in 2023.