William Kentridge. I Am Not Me, the Horse Is Not Mine

I am not me, the horse is not mine is a large-scale video installation by the acclaimed South African artist William Kentridge, composed of eight six-minute films, each accompanied by a soundtrack by Philip Miller. The films — His majesty comrade nose, Prayers of apology, A lifetime of enthusiasm, Country dances I (Shadow), Country dances II (Paper), That ridiculous blank space again (A one-minute love story), Commissariat for enlightenment, and The horse is not mine — weave a narrative linked to the Soviet avant-garde, tracing its evolution from the films of the 1920s and 1930s to its catastrophic demise in the mid-1930s.

Kentridge’s characteristic blend of techniques, including stop-motion animation, live-action sequences, archival footage, moving collage, and shadow play, underscores his intellectual depth, creativity, and artistic freedom. His work, deeply influenced by the social and political events he witnessed during apartheid in South Africa, has sharpened his ability to keenly examine the intricate dynamics of Soviet identity. Created in 2008, this installation holds particular relevance amid the current discourse on the decolonization of Russia.

Curator: Monika Szewczyk
Coordination: Eliza Urwanowicz-Rojecka