During their residency at The Lock-Up, Olga Syvatova will develop a new video work responding to a recent return to their homeland, Russia—the first visit since the outbreak of war in 2022. The project reflects on the emotional and physical complexities of this journey, particularly as a queer person navigating a politically hostile environment and reconnecting with a homeland transformed by propaganda and conflict. The work will examine themes of loss, identity, and fractured familial bonds, using personal narrative as a lens through which broader socio-political realities are explored.

ABOUT OLGA SYVATOVA

Olga Svyatova is a multidisciplinary artist working across photography, video, installation, and textiles. Their practice explores the complex terrain of memory, loss, and interpersonal connection, often drawing from personal autobiography to illuminate shared emotional landscapes. Based in Eora/Sydney, they have exhibited extensively across independent and institutional spaces, including solo exhibitions at Our Neon Foe, Tiles Lewisham, Knulp, and Firstdraft. Their work has also been shown at Sydenham International, Pari, Kudos, Hidden Rookwood, and West Space. In 2024, they were a finalist in the National Photography Prize at Murray Art Museum Albury and received the John and Margaret Baker Fellowship for emerging practitioners.