In his works, Vladimir Gramovich uses materials that are also used in museums, construction sites, and monuments. He wonders: What if these materials, such as concrete, granite, metal and glass, not only deteriorate over time, but also change history? In "People of Salt" he creates a fountain with various unusual elements. It is connected with the history of the city of Soligorsk. The city is famous for its salt mines. The water is colored by potassium permanganate, the salt that is mined there. Some of these items, such as helmets, symbolize the hard work of people in mines, quarries and construction sites. Others, such as braids, symbolize agricultural work in the countryside. The peasants fought their masters with scythes. Helmets now represent fountains, and scythes are depicted with the blades facing up. Their form changed - from tools of labor they became tools of struggle. The objects depicted in the picture are a symbol of the struggle of workers and peasants for their rights. The work is devoted to two uprisings in Belarus. One of these occurred in 2020 when workers went on strike against state and police violence. Many workers from Soligorsk mines joined the strike. The second occurred in 1863 against the colonial rule of the Russian Empire. The artist connects this struggle with how it was forgotten over time. The current government in Belarus is removing all memories of the anti-colonial struggle, including monuments and texts from school textbooks. Both the 1863 and 2020 uprisings failed - but what did that failure represent? How can we remember this and use it in the present moment?
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eng Automatic Translation
People of Salt
Metal, aluminum, braids, pumps, water, potassium permanganate, potassium, found objects