How can artist be innovative and create a work of art displaying their self image with out using the typical mediums? In your journal please respond to the following:

Kseniya Simonova

Think about the following: How does the artist use the sand? How does Simonova pace herself through her art? How does the music help/hurt the art? What all does she draw through the video? What is the significance of the imagery? How does she create emphasis? How does this display identity? What past events could she be referencing in this video?

Take some time and answer the questions listed previously. We will be discussing this as a class.

How does she use the sand to create form? What do you think about the imagery?

Kseniya Simonova “Ukraine’s Got Talent” Winner In the semi-final of «Ukraine’s got talent», Kseniya was going to perform a sand story about the Great Patriotic War which she created in the memory of fallen soldiers who saved her county from the Nazi. Kseniya refused the proposals of the producers to choose a more popular theme. She said: «I just want to bring some immortal sense to this show. Not just pictures or video clips. Something close to all hearts... It was also a tribute to my great- grandfather who heroically died in 1943 defending his Motherland». The sand story Simonova presented in live TV shooting of the semi-final was called «You are always nearby». It was an 8-minute live sand story of a young couple who were separated by the war. The young Lady and little Son were waiting for the Man to come from war, but he was killed. In the end he came to their window and watched them with a sight of love and hope. There was not a single emotion on the face of the performer.

Continued... Simonova’s hands worked incredibly fast. Nobody knew what was going on in her soul. From the interview of Simonova: «It was so emotionally hard, and I now still cannot think about those minutes without pain... My hands were dyeing and reviving making the images.» Kseniya was hoping to get a little advertisement for her as an artist, but it turned an emotional bomb explosion. Almost the entire audience was in tears. Applause came down just after a minute after she finished her performance. Everyone in the hall applauded standing. Kseniya passed the semi-final and passed the final of the contest. In the third round, at Final, the sand story of Kseniya was about parents who gave birth to a son, the son has grown up, became successful and adult and forgot his old parents. Kseniya wanted the children to remember their father and mother — people who gave them lives — and call them. The resonance was enormous — people came to her in streets saying: «After watching your story, I took the phone and called my mom. I haven’t talk to for her a year. I called my mom after your story. Thank you very much! » Simonova said that these words were more than winning the show. During the interview with the judges in super-final, she said: «I’m not sure I want to win the show. But if a single person who didn’t call his Mom, will do it after my sand story — I will be more than a Winner!»