What Could Have Happened to Vika Mitrichenka’s Father
26. 9. 2013
Belarusian artist Vika Mitrichenka – a graduate from the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten – who lives in Holland, presents a fascinating collection of trophies dedicated to her father.
Vika tells stories that are difficult to forget through her works from the borderland between design and art, stories in which she often goes back to the past, her childhood, her family, her native totalitarian country, guiding us towards the essence of life in a very unexpected and candid way. At Designblok, she presents The Trophy Cups (What Could Have Happened to My Father) collection under the wings of the Křehký gallery in the Art House Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace. The collection is dedicated to her father, a former Olympic champion in swimming and a valued coach who trained many future Olympic medalists. However, he was not allowed to fully apply his talent for coaching. Vika Mitrichenka has dedicated a large collection of cups and trophies to him, which he could have won if he had been allowed to fully apply his talent. It is interesting that he, thanks to Vika, later started teaching at a university in Minsk and has become a successful art collector and connoisseur. Thus, the collection of trophies serves as a debate on talent and success, plus on a career that sometimes does not progress as we might have wished. However, such a career can also be very successful indeed. “I also try to reflect on what ‘realization’ actually is. Could it have different forms? Professional success might not be the most important thing. What if what is left in the shadow is much more important and valuable?” says Mitrichenka.
