Yuri Leiderman

Ikon presents the first UK solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Yuri Leiderman, a series of performative installations in which the artist deals with legacies of history, cultural stereotyping and national identity.

For this exhibition, the figure of the artist is central as he sits in solemn silence, dressed absurdly as a Swiss naval captain, focusing on a round tin. His handmade, cartoon-like uniform acts as a foil for the seriousness of contemplated historical atrocities. Whilst he is lost in this isolated rumination, a cacophony of sound fills the space. Six groups of local musicians drawn from different cultural backgrounds perform throughout the gallery, presenting an ever evolving composition encapsulating their varying ‘folk’ traditions.Chinese lute and harp players, an English folk violinist dressed as a ringmaster, African drummers and an Albanian clarinet player, improvise together against backdrops of photographic assemblages. These montages feature various images from wartime, establishing a monochrome link to the live ‘here and now’, to ongoing issues arising out of assumptions of diversity and multiculturalism. Here, music is suggested as an artform with the potential to transcend borders; a communication open to influence, welcoming difference.

These musical performances will occur at regular weekly slots. When the musicians are not playing, the space they occupy will feature video documentation of their performances.

Yuri Leiderman