In the work “Sincerely Yours” created at the interface of the generally accessible format of curriculum vitae and the half-forgotten epistolary genre, Ivan Novikov explores the biography of his imaginary “doppelgänger”.
Novikov constructs an alternative identity of himself - a character who was born and grown up in the city of Hue (Hue, Huế), Vietnam. Due to the number of circumstances this person feels alienated as well as taken out from contexts, both local and Russian culture.
“Alienation” of this character allows the artist reconfigurate post-colonial optics and direct its view to the “empire” itself, while the confidential tonality of the narrative permit him to go beyond the limits of binary oppositions and unambiguous assessments.