Margarita Saveleva´s “No more”

Margarita Saveleva's artistic journey is a quest through diverse realms of creative expression. Hailing from the grand landscapes along the River Tura in Siberia, her roots are embedded in nature's raw, untamed beauty. From meticulous fresco restoration in the heart of Italy to earning certification as an art therapist, Saveleva's pursuit of artistic evolution is truly captivating.

In 2013, the course of Saveleva's artistic narrative took an abrupt and profound turn. The tranquil expanse of the River Tura was marred by a nearby petroleum rig's rupture, forever altering the ecosystem in a cataclysmic event of unprecedented magnitude. Saveleva, intimately connected to this environment, felt a visceral call to bear witness and give voice to the silent cries of a wounded landscape.

From this crucible of devastation arises her latest work - “NO MORE". This series of installations is a haunting testament to the irrevocable transformation wrought by the petroleum spill. Saveleva boldly employs the very substance that wrought havoc upon her cherished river - petroleum - as the medium for her creations. The viscous material is transmuted into intricate, tactile forms that serve as both homage and elegy.

"NO MORE" transcends the realm of conventional art, serving as a visceral bridge between the observer and the ecological trauma that unfolded on the River Tura. Each installation is a palpable embodiment of resilience, a plea for awareness, and a harbinger of change.

THE BOOK

Saveleva “Book” unfurls a narrative of loss and irreplaceable change. Through hauntingly vivid images on rice paper Saveleva showcases real imprints of extinct fish species that were native to the Tura River. As one turns the pages, the fish gradually fade into spectral traces, mirroring the tragic vanishing of once-thriving flora and fauna in the Tura's depths.

The book stands as a tactile embodiment of the irreplaceable, reminding us that some losses transcend recompense, and that our stewardship of the environment holds the power to safeguard what remains. 

TURA RIVER 

Four expansive canvases, saturated in an oil-infused solution, vividly depict the river's narrative from that fateful year to the present. The flow of the river, symbolised by the oily medium, charts a somber course: each passing year witnessed a dwindling procession of fish until their presence ceased altogether, leaving an eerie void.

Crafted from oil-dyed burlap, these four canvases, each measuring 40cm by 2 meters, encapsulate the river's elegy. The piscine subjects, rendered with meticulous pigment, evoke spectral echoes of a once-teeming ecosystem now silenced. 

FISHING NET 

This installation pays homage to Saveleva´s grandfather, who spent over four decades fishing on the Tura River, weaving an intricate tapestry of memories and traditions. The net, an artefact steeped in familial legacy, now hangs in somber suspension, its once vital purpose rendered obsolete. It is a visceral testament to the profound transformation wrought by the oil spill, where a once-thriving practice has been replaced by a haunting emptiness.