In my third year of university, we were tasked with creating an explainer video. As a group, we focused on the theme of «cognitive biases». Each student chose one from a long list and presented it from a specific angle.I became interested in the «third-person effect» — a phenomenon where a person believes that advertising, news, propaganda, or other forms of information have a stronger impact on those around them than on themselves. In my view, however, one should never underestimate the fact that all information is «colored» by certain perspectives and inevitably influences us, whether explicitly or implicitly.This project encouraged me to reflect on the boundaries of my own «information bubble» — what gets in there and how this shapes me.

The visuals of the explainer are inspired by protective fields — barriers that separate a familiar internal environment from a hostile external one. These fields, however, are prone to deformation and distortion: gaps can emerge, allowing unwanted elements to slip through.The color yellow in Russian culture is linked both to madness («yellow house» is an expression meaning an insane asylum) and to untruthful information («yellow press»).The video incorporates my own footage and archival materials. The graphics were created using TouchDesigner. These elements are layered and blended together, symbolizing a viscous information environment in which it is difficult to distinguish one thing from another.

Manual is a magazine created by Ulyana Danilevskaya and me that explores the phenomena of postmodern society, which we must coexist with, whether we like it or not. One might choose to tolerate this reality or fight against it. Our approach is simply to pose questions and cultivate new ground for reflecting on things that, at first glance, seem to have already been analyzed from every possible angle. In search of fresh perspectives, we turn to the work of artists we like.

A key principle of media is the manual curation of content. We put ourselves in opposition to algorithmic recommendation feeds, offering instead a selection of material curated by actual human beings. This commitment to a handpicked approach is reflected in the publication’s primary typeface — Areal — a reimagining of Arial in which the standard em-dash which has come to be associated with AI-generated content is replaced by a custom «am-dash». The symbol itself draws its name from the English verb «am» — to be, to exist.Areal font and this picture are created by Cocogun.

Title: Manual Format: 130×185 mm Cover: Lomond film Paper: Arkana 80 g/m² Font: Areal

«Peredacha» is a video project focused on learning poetry through the use of mnemonic techniques — or, broadly speaking, on developing associative thinking.

Visual mnemonic techniques not only make it easier to recall information, but also — through the use of associations — allow one to connect that information with a personal experiences, in other words, to internalize it.In my videos, I take a poem I’m unfamiliar with and try to memorize it using the pictogram method: for each line of the poem, I quickly sketch a corresponding image that helps me recall the text later. This semi-humorous practice is rooted in the belief that an intelligent person should remember a great deal and be able to work with that information. It is also aimed at developing visual thinking.