The concept of paradise has become a cornerstone of Abrahamic and other monotheistic religions. Whether it’s the Garden of Life, a restored Eden or a new, pure realm of human existence, paradise is consistently portrayed as part of after life beliefs that guarantee the continuation of the soul after the body’s death. In its purest essence, the concept of an ideal exis tence free from pain, suffering, deprivation or vio lence has shaped various social, political and cul tural forms throughout human history. This influence spans from the socialism of the 1920s to the new forms of esotericism today. In her series of works, including the video installation The Horse and the two paintings Affectionate Beast and The Horse Lake, Tatsiana Karpachova explores the liminal states between the search for paradise on earth and the extreme forms of escapism that lead to inevitable violence and oppression on one side, and deep solitude and fragility of life on the other. The image of the horse that the artist employs is not coincidental. The horse has long been treated as a sacred symbol of the eternal life cycle, but al so as an apocalyptic one, and has been a crucial element in the advancement of human civiliza tion. The horse is one of the most extensively utilized animals in human history and the only one that has been used for centuries in wars and military conquests. In German art history, there is a specific term, Reiter standbild, to describe paintings that depict a rider on a horse. This genre was particularly popular during the era of global colonial conquests, glorifying the man-warrior riding his horse, brandishing weapons and triumphantly marching across newly conquered lands. In her video work, Tatsiana Karpachova subverts this glorified vertical hierarchy by repositioning it into an uncomfortable horizontal stance, present ing herself as a woman within the body of a horse, burning from within. The desired paradise, obtained by 'fire and sword', is engulfed in flames.

Anna Karpenko