Absolute Faith Made
On April 1, 2026, the C+N Gallery CANEPANERI presents “Absolute Faith Made”, a new solo show by Arseny Zhilyaev, at its Genoa venue. Curated by Tatiana Martyanova, the exhibition centers on key works from the ongoing series “Behind the Fog of War There Is Always Pain” (2022 – ongoing), alongside new and previously unseen works from the same body of work.
The choice of the opening date, traditionally associated with April Fool’s Day, introduces a deliberate oxymoron: nothing in today’s global condition, marked by economic crises and ongoing wars, is a joke. With this exhibition, the artist and the gallery invite viewers to reflect critically on reality and on their own positions and responsibilities, including those shaped by action and inaction.
“Behind the Fog of War There Is Always Pain” brings together newspapers dating from February 24, 2022, a symbolic date marking the beginning of a new phase of global conflict. In this series, the “fog” is understood as the erased content in the printed press and other publications. Their texts are progressively veiled by the artist with layers of white paint, rendering them nearly illegible. This gesture evokes obscured truths, the inaccessibility of information, and the emotional burden of war. The work operates as an evolving archive, where time is traced through accumulation, erasure, and painterly sedimentation.
Alongside it, several pieces from “The Monotony of the Pattern Recognizer” series expand Zhilyaev’s engagement with white monochromes through machine embroidery, algorithmic text, and acrylic on canvas. Here, white functions not only as erasure but also as an active field of renewal, questioning institutional, linguistic, and perceptual frameworks.
Zhilyaev’s practice merges history, fiction, and institutional critique, often taking the form of “parafictional” museums and speculative systems for narrating possible futures. His work has been presented at major international platforms, including La Biennale di Venezia, Shanghai Biennial, Manifesta, and is held in collections such as Tate Modern (London), Kadist Art Foundation (Paris, San Francisco), M HKA (Antwerp), and MSU (Zagreb).
The title of the exhibition arises from one of the works derived from a newspaper, in which the highlighted phrase “Absolute Faith Made” emerges from the fog of the cancelled content. Art holds a deep faith in the possibility of a better world. And yet, we all know that this promise is never fully realized. Therefore, we find ourselves enveloped in uncertainty and incomprehension. Invited to reflect.
In a historical moment shaped by instability and conflict, the exhibition creates a space for awareness and contemplation, where acts of covering, erasing, and repetition become both political and poetic gestures.