The Wedding Dress, co-design by Kate Musina, digital print on fabric 2015/2016
The Wedding Dress focuses upon the subjects of the crossing of borders between countries and the crossing borders between personal and public information.
In order to enter into a legal marriage with a foreigner, one has to undergo a long official process. The state wants to know how the couple met, who proposed, what the future husband’s income is, where the couple will live after the wedding, whether they know each other’s parents, etc. It is not enough to just say 'yes' to each other. The invisible officials behind the scenes vetting the licence of those intending to marry need to give their consent as well. And even trying to obtain a standard visa for Germany, one needs to provide proof of one’s acquaintance with the person who has issued the invitation on by providing transcripts of phone conversations and correspondence.
This intrusion into one's private sphere provoked me to perform an act of utter exhibitionism. Together with Kate Musina, I designed a wedding dress, on which I printed my correspondence with my husband-to-be spanning five years. (Alina Kopytsa)
Alina Kopytsa
*1983 in Poliske in Kyiv region, Ukraine.
2006 National Technical University Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, department of graphic arts. Took part in the variety of exhibitions through Ukraine: 2011 “Pre-auction exhibition “Simply Art” and “Muzychi Christmas Art Fair”; 2012 “Women’s workshop”, “Gender in IZOLYATSIA2 and “MUHі 2012”; 2013 – “SPACES: Architecture of Common”; Exhibition of the 20 short listed artists for the Pinchuk Art Centre Prize 2013; 2014 “Golden rain over us”; 2015 “Zero without a stick”, “What in Me Is Feminine?” and “Moved On!”. Participated in few exhibitions in Switzerland: 2015 “Body and Freedom Festival” and 2016 – Performance “Alternative story2. Solo exhibitions: 2008 An action “Personal Space”, finalist of the grant program “Public Space 07–08” of EIDOS Arts Development Foundation, Kiev, Ukraine. 2008 “Windows” within the program for young artists Center of Contemporary Art at NaUKMA and Swiss cultural program in Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine. 2010 “Childhood Re-Creation”, Raum Junge Kunst /Ratskeller Lichtenberg, Berlin. 2016 “Plug it”, and “Puppenhaus”, both in Switzerland.
