AES+F's 'Le Vert Paradis' at Passage de Retz

Passage de Retz in Paris revisits the work of AES+F, previously shown at the Russian Pavilion of the 52nd Venice Biennale. The collective, formed in 1987 as AES by Tatiana Arzamasova, Lev Evzovitch, and Evgeny Svyatsky, was joined by photographer Vladimir Fridkes in 1995, becoming AES+F. The exhibition 'Le Vert Paradis' explores adolescence through videos, sculptures, and photographs. In 'Last Riot' and 'Action Half Life' series, the group draws parallels between top models and cybersoldiers, using models from agencies to highlight aesthetic uniformity. 'Action Half Life' borrows its title and aesthetic from a popular video game, depicting teenagers in warfare set in the Sinai desert, with weapons misdirected and mutual destruction delayed. The 'Suspectes' series mixes photographs of seven teenage murderers with seven high school girls, challenging the viewer to identify the guilty. AES+F critiques the standardization of beauty and its application to war, leaving the viewer to confront the lost 'green paradise' of childhood.