Apocalypse

2023, metal, peat glue, porcelain, stone, wood, 61x32x27 cm /// Dmitrijs Lavrentjevs (1970) is a contemporary artist working in various visual art mediums. The sculpture “Apocalypse” was one of the central pieces in the artist’s major solo exhibition of the same title, “Apocalypse” (November 22, 2023 - February 27, 2024, Art Platz Gallery). Lavrentjevs often uses unconventional materials in his work, imbuing his art with unique symbolism. He finds inspiration in the theory of English mystic Aleister Crowley, who suggested that the skull represents the Moon. Contrasting the solar system’s unity, this sculpture’s surface is intentionally deconstructed with small fragments of porcelain tiles, which the artist collected over several years along the seashore in Engure, Latvia. These broken fragments of tiles, which the waves have shaped for more than 50 years, were thrown into the sea during the construction of the pier during the Soviet era. Through the merge of various narratives, Lavrentjevs emphasises the interaction between the human-made environment and nature, where the transient and the unchanging coexist over time. /// The artist’s signature and date are on the back of the sculpture.