XeniArtSpace Gallery: Traces of the Ephemeral

At XeniArtSpace Gallery, the exhibition Abstract Iceland by photographer Vadim Levin unfolded - a contemplative, almost meditative journey through Iceland’s raw and breathtaking landscapes, where nature itself becomes an abstract artist.

Levin’s work invites the viewer to pause, to let go of the noise, and simply observe the silent power of the world around us - through textures of volcanic rock, layers of fog, icy light and rhythmic forms sculpted by time. The exhibition resonated with many, and soon it will travel to another gallery, continuing its quiet, visual dialogue.

It was within this space that the video art piece Traces of the Ephemeral by Polina Kulbachevskaya was presented - a natural extension of Levin’s philosophy yet offering a shift in focus: from Iceland to Cyprus, from stillness to subtle movement, from photographic frame to living image.

The realities of our lives - with their frenzied pace, the constant anxiety stirred by an endless stream of notifications on glowing screens - pull us further and further away from ourselves. They rob us of the simple opportunity to step back from the noise, to breathe deeply, to see something pure, beautiful, and true. And yet that beauty, that truth, it surrounds us. It’s there - if only we stop, just for a moment, and look.

This is the spirit that permeates Traces of the Ephemeral, echoing the core of Levin’s exhibition. In her piece, the artist shifts her gaze to the landscapes of Cyprus, exploring nature’s infinite ability to act as a silent, abstract creator.

Polina’s video reveals the quiet art of nature, always transforming, always slipping just beyond our grasp. Through her lens, the landscape becomes an unfolding process: sea salt leaves intricate patterns on stone, dry winds etch lines into the sand, vegetation reshapes itself under the relentless sun. What we see is not a fixed picture but a meditation in motion - an invitation to re-learn how to look. Nature paints with light, color, texture, and rhythm, composing living canvases in every breath, every flicker of time. These delicate visual metamorphoses become a metaphorical language - one capable of expressing the richness and depth of the beauty that surrounds us.

Through Traces of the Ephemeral, Polina draws our attention to change and cyclical transformation. Beauty in nature is not static - it exists in motion, in repetition, in quiet evolution. Cyprus, through her eyes, becomes not merely a setting, but an artist in its own right - a maker of works that live through time.

Polina Kulbachevskaya’s video art is not a landscape in the traditional sense - it is the result of an ongoing dialogue between the elements. Each passing moment births a new version of the image. There is no fear in this piece - no despair over global warming, no looming catastrophe. Instead, there is something else: a quiet reminder. To stop. To return. To reconnect with the deep sources of our truest selves. To rediscover the beauty of the world, both around us and within us.