About the Project
The core of the exhibition consists of proris—a specific form of graphic art. These are images captured through the printing method («impression») from icons or frescoes. Their visual characteristics allow us to find points of intersection between traditional genres and contemporary art. The exhibition invites viewers to examine proris specifically as independent works of art alongside contemporary art.
As an integral stage in the creation of a work, they serve as a starting point for studying the process of icon creation while also possessing independent artistic value as graphic samples.
In September 2026, sketches by Pesekhonov, alongside works by Maxim Dyomin and Victoria Smirnova, were exhibited at the Church of Saints Nicholas the Wonderworker and Spiridon of Trimythius on Nikolina Gora. The visual characteristics of the sketches allow for finding intersection points between traditional genres and contemporary art.The goal of the exhibition was to draw attention to the sketches—as a vast and underexplored field for art historians—while simultaneously presenting the technique as a distinctive form of art.
The teaser exhibition vividly demonstrates how contemporary art and traditional genres can interact.
The vaulted ceiling under the exhibition space resembles early Christian catacombs—a place where the tradition that would define the subsequent development of all European visual arts began. In this way, the visitor will enter a kind of neo-catacomb and witness modern art set against ancient backdrops, or conversely, examine traditional genres through the lens of new artistic movements.
The project will draw the attention of specialists and enthusiasts to prisms as a unique genre of art. In addition to its educational function, it offers the opportunity to give visitors a unique sensory and metaphysical experience.
