Maxim Ksuta

Lost in Transition: A New Exhibition at Wynwood Hotel

The *Lost in Transition* exhibition at Wynwood Hotel plays with the concept of a hotel as a place that bears witness to the inner transformation and emotional renewal of a traveler in a new city. Impressions are directly tied to heightened senses: the “other” awakens a gaze that keenly captures unusual details, sharpens hearing attuned to forgotten melodies. All these scattered images, accumulated chaotically throughout the day, intersect in the imagination and seep into dreams, blending with reality in the first moments after waking. The instant before memory reconstructs the events of the past day and threads them to the present is nearly imperceptible—yet it lingers, close to the sensation of being lost, to that fleeting moment of disorientation.

The works displayed throughout the hotel reflect artists’ experiences at specific moments of contemplative self-perception within their surroundings. Anatoly Akue’s *Harvest* series stems from his study of two esoteric systems—Western astrology and ancient Chinese BaZi—and their influence on human life. Over the course of a year, the artist analyzed life events, interpreted them through these mystical traditions, and translated the resulting insights and subjective understanding into semi-abstract compositions. Maxim Ksuta’s monochromatic landscapes from the *Tectonic Painting* series seem to emerge from a universal mystical rhythm, inviting the viewer to engage with it through the observation of light reflections. A similar effect is present in Andrey Berger’s work, where he paints with acrylic on a reflective road sign marked *100 m*, visible only at a specific angle of light. This piece, titled *Lost in Transition*, became the foundation for the exhibition’s concept, metaphorically referring to the hidden path of life, unseen by the casual glance.

Eva Helki’s objects and Misha Nikatin’s paintings operate like ironic riddles, assembled from everyday items. By revealing the poetry of the mundane, their imagery projects onto the viewer’s memories, rearranging itself like a deck of cards, unfolding anew in different minds.

Anka Akhalaya, in creating her abstract compositions, turns to the surrealist technique of automatic writing, capturing fleeting emotional states in her works. A different impression—one that leans toward permanence and the idea of eternal return—emerges in Olga Aksyonova’s pieces, where barely visible figures shimmer in golden light, bound by a mysterious shared encounter. At the intersection of reality and fiction, in the quiet blur of watercolor strokes, Arthur Samofalov seeks a point of stability in his *Inhabited Ruins* series. His indistinct forms become allegories of uncertain knowledge—chaos obscures the clear contours of objects, evoking unease.

The challenge for each of us is to overcome the desire for rigid clarity and instead embrace contemplation—an approach that fosters inner transformation and reveals a new vision of the world. Even the smallest journey shifts the rhythm of life, lifting the veil from our eyes and allowing for transition, for inner metamorphosis, and for the formation of a renewed dialogue with both the self and the world around us.

Alisa Prokhorova