Maria Anisimova

Maria Anisimova convinced the jury with her portraits and images of people put into another context in a completely fresh way. In her artistic work she realizes the well-known medium portrait in a remarkably courageous and original manner. The jury especially acknowledged her skillful use of the museum’s architecture.

Since renaissance until present days art plays with the depiction of man as an individual with his specific, recognizable characteristics and its various effects on the ‘counterpart’. Maria Anisimova orchestrates this questioning of the Other or the reflexion of one’s ego as portraits, using everyday objects, mirrors or textiles in her installations and assemblages. This artistic process of visual quest comprises a tremendous power of association, tells stories, reminds on what is familiar or breaks standardized expectations. The portrayed person is absent in a literal sense, but yet incredibly present through the strongly associative material compositions. Moreover, staging these irritating portraits, which can only be interpreted subjectively, in the museum’s representative cupola hall develops its own dramaturgy and thrills the visitor.

Maria Anisimova lives and works in Offenbach am Main.