In a new body of large-scale paintings based on raw footage from the frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Khomenko incorporates various records—including drone footage, soldiers’ body cameras, and civilians’ phone records—into seemingly abstract, semi-representational paintings. The Russo-Ukrainian war is the most heavily documented war in history. There is “big data” in the form of diverse records made by both soldiers and civilians documenting every aspect of life during the war. The phenomenon of photographic and video documentation made by military drones or firearm optics creates a new view of wartime representation, channeling a gaze that bridges the human and the machine.
In her research, the artist adopts the methodology of war-crime investigators, watching graphic content frame by frame. Khomenko employs a sharp analytical lens that reads wartime documentation visually rather than forensically. The sheer variety of images allows her to construct a dialogue between historical wars and recent battles by referencing battle paintings produced under the conditions of postwar socialist realism and the contemporary realities of cyberwar.
