Rachel Monosov
When All Is Still, 2024

The combination of materials and loaded symbolic cues speaks to identity and socio-economic history, weaving the artist’s autobiography into the geo-political moment. The sculptures are replicas of Soviet monuments, particularly those of the Socialist Realism era. Male and female heads decapitated from their bodies are given new meaning by the uranium glass elements that cover, divide, or support them. An eagle’s wing lies on top of a glowing green pillow whilst its head is constrained within a fluorescent globe. A hand, having at some point held the mighty five-point star, is conserved within the warm sphere of a display dome, and another holds a glass drop of tears frozen in time.

Uranium glass, a unique radioactive material, was no longer used after the Manhattan Project. Although it is safe to handle and live with, its characteristic green glow is reminiscent of an ominous reality. The lingering specter of fear built by the proliferation of nuclear arsenals during the Cold War is imprinted on the collective consciousness and perpetuates a cycle of conflict and control that distorts our perception of power and security – an influence that continues to shape people’s decisions, opinions and voting behavior decades after its fall.

The artist points to the relationship between social realism and the nexus of nuclear weapons, connecting these systems of control to contemporary warfare. Through opposition, the cement and glass create a visual poem of man-made ideas which could, and did, bring darkness to humanity. Socialist Realism played a role in shaping public perception within the Soviet Union, producing official accounts starkly different from the lived experiences of those affected. Today, the role of nuclear weapons as potential catalyst for unprecedented devastation looms large, adding an extra layer of urgency to these artistic narratives.