existence<\/strong>, inspired by Alexander Oparin\u2019s theory of life emerging from non-living matter. Her recent exhibitions also include a group exhibition titled \u2018The Shape of Those with No Shape\u2019 at SPIRA9 Art Gallery, London in March 2025.<\/p>\nThrough her innovative approach, Malemina challenges traditional boundaries and create immersive experiences that invite the audience to reflect on the transient nature of reality and the endless cycles of transformation. Her work explores themes such as collective psychology, voyeurism, the philosophical thought of existentialism and the concept of nonexistence.<\/p>\n
Malemina draws inspiration from Jean Baudrillard\u2019s \u201cSimulacra and Simulation,\u201d using the lens as a tool to examine reality and perception<\/strong>. With the belief that humans are already living in the \u2018simulation\u2019 described by Baudrillard, the replication of a real-world process or system\u2019s functioning, Malemina invited her audience to consider open-ended questions such as the boundary between the natural and the artificial.<\/p>\nHer artistic journey often involves capturing \u201cNothingness\u201d, a notion central to the philosophical idea of existentialism, posing questions like whether the body can exist in the void, or if silence can be audible. \u200bIn addition, by using multimedia and digital technology, she demonstrates the idea that not only can physical experiences of art coexist with the virtual ones, but also one should enrich another. We dig deeper into the perspectives of her artistic creations in our interview with her.<\/p>\n
Your work often explores the tension between presence and absence, reality and simulation. What first drew you to these philosophical inquiries?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> I have always been drawn to uncovering the truth beneath the surface, examining concepts with precision and exploring them from unconventional perspectives. A significant turning point in my work came during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surreal, almost cinematic nature of the global crisis deepened my awareness of the fragility of reality and perception. This period heightened my interest in the tension between physical and mental states, leading me to incorporate voyeuristic themes into my video art, particularly in my CCTV experimental project. <\/p>\nThe pandemic reframed my fascination with observing others, introducing new layers of meaning and contradiction \u2014 presence and absence, reality and simulation. This shift catalysed a broader exploration, where I integrated sound, silence, immersive video, and experimental art into my practice.<\/p>\n
How do you translate such abstract ideas into tangible, sensory experiences? (this is a different question)<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> I don\u2019t follow a fixed formula; rather, my process is fluid and intuitive. Since the philosophical themes I explore are often dualistic and intangible, abstraction becomes the most natural way to express them. I enjoy mixing disciplines and integrating the latest technological advancements to push my work further. Some ideas translate seamlessly, while others require experimentation \u2014 sometimes failing entirely. But I see those failures as part of the process, an opportunity to refine how I communicate these tensions most effectively.<\/p>\nJean Baudrillard\u2019s concept of Simulacra and Simulation seems central to your creative process. In an era dominated by digital realities and artificial intelligence, do you view your work as a critique, an embrace, or something in between?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
Sofia Malemina. ABIOGENESIS, Immersive video installation, 2024 Sofia Malemina:<\/strong> As an artist, I aim to remain neutral in my approach. My work is less about imposing a viewpoint and more about posing questions\u2014inviting an open-ended dialogue between myself, my work, and the audience. I see this exchange as integral to the creative process.<\/p>\nHowever, as someone from a generation for whom technological advances are seamlessly incorporated with everyday life, I recognise that the line between the real and the artificial has become increasingly blurred \u2014 perhaps even illusory. I genuinely believe we are already living within the very simulation Baudrillard so precisely theorized. Rather than positioning myself as an outsider critiquing this reality, I create within it, taking it for granted.<\/p>\n
As a result, my work is both an embrace and a critique \u2014 but also neither. I use technology as a tool for artistic exploration, tracing the evolution of digital realities, exposing their intricacies, and presenting them to my audience as open-ended inquiries rather than definitive statements.<\/p>\n
Your recent solo exhibition, Abiogenesis, explored the cycles of life through digital sound and video. How do you see technology as a medium for expressing organic, even existential, themes?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> Technology today offers artists an unprecedented ability to imagine and manifest anything far beyond the constraints of realism or even abstraction. With digital advancements, artistic themes can be both hyper-real and entirely fictional, allowing for the visualisation of concepts that once seemed impossible.\u00a0<\/p>\nIn my practice, particularly in Abiogenesis, I explore cycles of life, transformation, and even the notion of nonexistence through digital sound and video. These media enable me to create immersive environments where organic and existential themes become tangible, engaging the audience in a sensory and introspective experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Digital tools also allow me to move beyond the fixed object, placing the viewer directly within the work \u2014 where they don\u2019t just observe but physically and emotionally experience the process. This raises fundamental questions: Where is the boundary between the natural and the artificial? And does it even exist?<\/p>\n
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Sofia Malemina. ODiS [Invisible Material], LED panels, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist. \u00a9 Svetlana Redozubova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nYou\u2019ve spoken about your fascination with voyeurism\u2014how do you navigate the ethics of watching and being watched in your interactive installations? Do you ever feel complicit in the very dynamics you seek to expose?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> Yes, I am endlessly fascinated with people-watching, and voyeurism has become an integral part of my artistic exploration. For me, evoking emotion is essential, and voyeurism inherently provokes discomfort. We exist in a constant state of observation\u2014watched even when we believe we are unseen. But beyond external surveillance, we also observe ourselves, shaping our image in response to being watched. By integrating tools like surveillance technology, I create spaces where viewers must confront their role within these dynamics.<\/p>\nI don\u2019t see myself as separate from this system; I, too, am complicit in what I seek to examine, and that self-awareness becomes part of the critique. Recently, experiencing stalking firsthand forced me to rethink the boundaries between observation, invasion, and vulnerability, deepening my engagement with these themes and the ethical complexities they carry.<\/p>\n
Your background spans video, audio engineering, virtual reality, and interactive sculpture. What is the most challenging aspect of working across such a diverse range of media? Do you see them as distinct tools, or as parts of a unified artistic language?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> For me, mixed media is ultimately a tool for delivering ideas. Each medium has its vocabulary, yet I see them as interconnected parts of a unified artistic language. Different tools offer different possibilities, and sometimes mistakes or technical limitations lead to unexpected solutions, sparking entirely new ideas. This synergy between media allows me to create layered, sometimes contradictory contexts \u2014 opening space for interpretation and deeper engagement with my work.<\/p>\n\n
Sofia Malemina. Equilibrium, Video, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist. \u00a9 Sofia Malemina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSilence is a recurring motif in your work, echoing the influence of John Cage. In an increasingly loud and overstimulated world, what role does quietness\u2014or even nothingness\u2014play in your artistic practice?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> In works such as One Day in Silence (ODiS) [2022], I treat silence as a generative force, encouraging the audience to engage with absence and reconsider the significance of quietness in a world overwhelmed by constant stimulation. Similarly, nothingness becomes a tangible experience in my series of works [2023], offering a space for introspection. By exploring these intangible concepts, I aim to restore value to the invisible yet essential \u2014 those pauses and moments when \u201cnothing\u201d appears to occur. However, if we attune ourselves, we can uncover an entire universe within these non-existent intervals.<\/p>\n\n
Sofia Malemina. ODiS [Invisible Material], LED panels, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist. \u00a9 Svetlana Redozubova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAs someone pushing the boundaries of non-commercial, conceptual art, what are your thoughts on the art world\u2019s relationship with commodification? Can deeply experimental digital work exist without being absorbed by market forces?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> The relationship between art and commodification is complex. While the market undeniably shapes much of the art world, my work is rooted in experimentation and the exploration of abstract concepts, rather than the pursuit of commercial success. Even the most radical practices can ultimately be absorbed by the system and transformed into cultural capital or collectible objects. <\/p>\nHowever, I believe there is still room for art that resists this transformation, particularly in the realm of digital and interactive media. These mediums, with their fluid and intangible qualities, offer the potential to remain in an ongoing state of process, never fully fixed or commodified. For me, the value of such work lies not in its marketability, but in its ability to shift perspectives, provoke thought, and challenge conventional understandings.<\/p>\n
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Sofia Malemina. Equilibrium, Video, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist. \u00a9 Sofia Malemina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nYou engage deeply with digital spaces yet also emphasise collective psychologies and physical interactions. Do you envision a future where art can fully exist in the virtual realm, or is the presence of the human body still essential?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> Art has always evolved with technological advances, and each innovation was once seen as a threat, only to ultimately expand the boundaries of creativity. For me, the future of art isn\u2019t about replacing physical experiences with virtual ones, but about rethinking how both realms can coexist and enhance each other. While the digital world offers new immersive possibilities, the body remains central to the artistic experience.<\/p>\nThe art of tomorrow will blur the lines between the artist, the viewer, and the work, creating a dynamic interplay. The body may transform from a mere physical object into an interface\u2014 an instrument of perception, a mediator between the physical and virtual worlds. In this new era, both realms will not exist in isolation but as a fluid, evolving exchange, expanding the potential of each.<\/p>\n
Your work is deeply rooted in conceptual philosophy, from existentialism to the metaphysics of nonexistence. How does philosophy shape your creative process? Do you see art as a means of questioning reality, or as a way of constructing new ones?<\/strong><\/p>\nSofia Malemina:<\/strong> Philosophy serves as the foundation of my creative process, shaping the way I engage with and interpret the world. I see art not only as a means to question reality but also as a tool to transform it. Through my work, I strive to create new modes of perception and forms of presence that challenge conventional understandings. Art becomes a space where the familiar is disrupted, inviting audiences to engage with alternative ways of experiencing the world. In this space, presence and absence, reality and simulation, coexist and dissolve into each other, prompting a deeper reflection on the nature of existence itself.<\/p>\n
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