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IACK is pleased to present an exhibition by Yulia Valisava, an Estonian artist living in St. Petersburg.

Balisava is an artist who creates works that reinterpret real people and historical stories through handmade artist books that combine photography, collage, installation, etc. Despite being an independent artist, his unique worldview and high-quality works have captured the hearts of many people, and his works have been included in the collections of the Tate Modern Art Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Sir Elton John Photography Collection in London.

This exhibition will feature a collection of works that Balisava has produced to date, as well as a participatory work derived from his artist book, "He Had a Hat," which he self-published last year. "He Had a Hat" was created after the artist came face to face with the numerous photographs of people wearing hats that he has collected and that have appeared as memorable motifs in his past works, and discovered that he may have unconsciously been superimposing the image of his father from his memories on these images.

In this work, which expands on the artist's book, visitors can bring along photographs, clippings, postcards, drawings, collages and other materials related to hats and exchange them for the artist's prints placed in a hat box installed at the venue. After the exhibition ends, Balisava plans to create a new artist book based on the materials collected. The series of processes involved in this work will reflect the way the work moves between the artist's personal and universal realms, and will create a multi-layered communication that transcends cultural backgrounds, distance and time.

We will also be selling a collection of Balisava's works, including some out-of-print editions.

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Wrapped Up in Books
Julia Borissova
Period: July 30th (Sat) - August 14th (Sun) 2022 *Closed Wednesday and Thursday the first week, and Monday and Tuesday the second week
Business hours: Weekdays 12:00-17:30 / Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 12:00-19:00
Venue: IACK
Contact: info (at) iack.studio

[How to participate in the interactive project]
Bring your favorite materials related to hats, such as photographs, clippings, postcards, drawings, and collages, to the venue and exchange them for one of the artist's prints. There is no participation fee, and anyone can participate during the event. The collected materials will be handed over to the artist after the event ends, and a new collection of works will be created based on them. If you have materials, please contact the store owner.

The number of prints available is limited. We apologize for any inconvenience caused if the number of prints is exhausted. Please note that we will continue to accept requests for hat-related materials throughout the event, even after the artists' prints are sold out.

*Notes for visitors
If you are not feeling well, please refrain from visiting. In addition, when you visit, please wear a mask and disinfect your hands when entering the store. If you cannot follow these rules, we may refuse you entry. Thank you for your understanding.

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Julia Borissova
Born in Estonia, currently living in Saint Petersburg. He creates works that reinterpret various real people and historical stories through handmade artist books using techniques such as photography, collage, and installation. Despite being an independent artist, his unique worldview and high quality works have captured the hearts of many people, and his works have been included in the collections of the Tate Modern Art Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Sir Elton John Photography Collection.