In the context of their occasional artistic collaborations, concept artist Sergey Voronzov and writer Juliana Bardolim are concerned with phenomena and conditions of the art business. Their current cooperation aims to fathom boundaries in regard to the artist’s sensitivity. In preparation for this, the artists formulated various questions, which are now visualized in the exhibition space, for example: “To what extent can the artist be touched? How does the artist respond to criticism, and who is entitled to practise this criticism? What is the significance of the public for the artist?”
These represent the conceptual basis to Bardolim’s and Voronzov’s research, the outcome of which is manifest in the exhibition space of Künstlerhaus Bethanien – with the enigmatic style and characteristic humour familiar to us from Voronzov’s works.
Don’t touch me is an interactive, space-consuming installation: in the centre of the room is a sculpture of the artist in a brightly-coloured, glittering costume reminiscent of mediaeval court jesters or the famous disco globes; he is standing on his head, which is in turn attached to a spring, so that the whole figure rocks slightly without interruption. The artist can be touched by visitors – and set in motion –, and in this way they can test their own emotions and relationship towards the artworld.

Sergey Voronzov and Juliana Bardolim live and work in Berlin.