Melancholympics: Curated by Sasha Bogojev

Through centuries Olympic games became the synonym for the unbeatable, ever-evolving human spirit, and seeing it postponed for the first time in history felt like a big blow for mankind. Instead of watching others pushing their physical capabilities on the big world stage, we found ourselves maneuvering our psychological conditions locked in our homes. Instead of enjoying the energy, the drive, and the uncertainty of competition, we were left experiencing lethargy, melancholy, and the uncertainty of our basic life norms.

Curated by Sasha Bogojev for Gallery Sofie Van de Velde & PLUS-ONE Gallery's The Wunderwall project, Melancholympics is marking this historic moment by showcasing the works by international artists whose practice revolves around finding beauty in such, for most people, uneasy and confusing atmosphere. Through an abundance of subdued hues and the endless spectrums of grays and browns, they are prophetically guiding us through it, armed with years of experience living socially distant lives. Whether portraying their subjects gazing in the distance or existing expressionless and numb to the world around them, constructing suggestive settings that evoke the ambiance of remoteness and disconnection, or depicting mundane details seen through a filter of indifference and sadness, these creatives suddenly became visionaries of the new normal we're experiencing.