Sasha (A Portrait of Alexander Povsner)

Single channel digital film projection, 16:9, 2015, 18 min 55 sec

Doa Aly met Russian sculptor Alexander “Sasha” Povsner during the 7th International Art Symposium Alanica in Russia, where they were both participants. She was immediately inspired by Povsner’s vulnerability and withdrawal. While ostensibly focused on the protagonist–Aly never makes an appearance in the video—there is palpable attraction between interviewer and interviewee. Sasha speaks candidly, but he never quite meets our gaze. Reluctant, distant, and self-reflexive, he seems emblematic of the incongruity and randomness in the contemporary art world. Sasha was commissioned by 7th International Art Symposium Alanica, curated by Nav Haq.