Cleaining the FMK, 2008-2023, Video, 6 mins

In Cleaning the FMK, Pavlo Kerestey tends to a monumental stained-glass window ensemble at a plywood furniture factory in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. The camera frames only part of the artwork, where we can discern words symbolizing socialist values: "peace," "work," "liberty," "equality," and "fraternity." Kerestey climbs a ladder, carefully cleaning the glass and metal structure. This simple act shifts the focus from the grand narratives of the past to the delicate fate of both the artwork and the artist himself. Kerestey performs and documents this small yet significant gesture of care towards an object that carries the memory of a bygone era. In doing so, he highlights how the disappearance of such objects would contribute to the erosion of both individual and collective memories, emphasizing the fragility of history.