(1) How long have you been making installations?
For 10 years. The realization of installation is possible enough in the framework of happening (it takes very little time to prepare it and can be made out of everything you have at your disposal) as well as in the framework of conceptual project (with the plan, long preparations, accounting, etc.).
(2) Why did you choose to make installations and not anything else?
Every technique (artistic) possesses its own, in general, unique poetics, produces this poetics. I do not make installations only, but for the complete range of perception it is reasonable to include in the palette installations also. Installations are part of that whole which is called modern art.
(3) What do you think of your own works?
My works are the evidence of my energy, of my presence here and now.
(4) What do you think the difference is between your own work and other installations?
Modern artists operate a relatively limited set of things (taken from our surroundings, these things are usual and cannot be perceived as new, but the individual choice of artist's things can be unusual (his/her installation palette)). There is no difference among installations made by different artists, perhaps, at the level of ideas, but the problem is that the number of ideas as well as things constituting an installation are limited.
(5) What do you think of the relationship of traditional artwork and installation?
Installation at present is an absolutely traditional art.
(6) What is the size and material of an installation determined by?
It is possible to make an installation of free size and from any material; there are no restrictions, and there could not be. Installations made without size and materials are also possible.
(7) Could you mention the installation you consider to be the largest and the smallest one?
With the appearance and development of Internet and various technologies, physical sizes are no more significant for the art of installation. In general, “the largest” and “the smallest” in the art of installation is at a horizontal scale, perhaps, it has some sense to work with vertical ones?
(8) Is there any object or idea that cannot be installed?
Any object or idea is installed with the help of sign substitutes; everything can be such a substitute. Therefore, there is no such an object or an idea which can not be installed.
(9) How does environment affect the installation of the work?
The problem of art is always a problem of context. Functionalizing and, especially, re-functionalizing is always a problem of art.
(10) Do you know any fact that restricts the possibilities of installation?
The absence of energy to realize them.
(11) Do you like making installation for order or at request?
It does not matter.
(12) What do you think of preserving an installation?
The strategy of conservation of works of art is understandable and typical of human consciousness as the latter is conservative. However, in the case of installation the archivist has “to overcome the resistance of material” with the help of schemes, plans, video, etc. fixation. The question of original becomes problematic. The preservation (read conservation) of installation rather refers to the system of creation of values (archive - collection - museum state - culture memory, etc.), rather the sphere of culture than art. The definite answer: “to preserve - not to preserve” would be obviously stupid, that is why everyone solves this problems in his/her own way, and, no doubt, everyone is right.
(13) Can the value of an installation be estimated and how?
Any object “brings” you to a certain way of usage (“a cake wants to be eaten”). Therefore, in the society with a mechanism of institutionising, any price is agreed upon among this or that circle of people. As an extreme - in art price can be decided authoritatively and it can be as high as the authority would like it to be. The question is, if there will be anyone ready to buy this installation for that money.
(14) How does copyright apply to installations preserved only in documents?
The problem of copyright is always the problem of money and naive belief of man that s/he can be original. Life makes its corrections...
(16) Your questions, if there is any, and your answers to them.
Who am I, where am I, and why? I do not have answers to these questions.