Engraved glasses, table, food, champagne
A culinary intervention recreating a Soviet-style gathering: a table set with snacks and champagne. Each glass is engraved with the number “58” — a reference to Article 58 of the Soviet penal code, used to prosecute vaguely defined “counter-revolutionary” acts between 1927 and 1958.
The clinking of glasses and shared celebration evoke joy and belonging. But the engraved “58” interrupts the ritual, marking a rupture between gesture and meaning. Oppression, the work suggests, is not only imposed by force, but also through normalization.
Photos: Mattia Quaglia (1), Sven Wied (2-6)