Natacha Ivanova's 'Dragon Hunter' at Rue Française, Paris

Natacha Ivanova's solo exhibition 'Dragon Hunter' runs until June 19, 2022, at Espace Rue Française in Paris. Curated by Amélie Pironneau, the show features works that symbolically hunt dragons—representing demons—and indirectly reference the war in Ukraine through Russian artistic lineage. Ivanova, born in 1975 and based in Germany, is rarely shown in France. Her works evoke a strange nostalgia blending Russian heritage and German culture, with its dense, unsettling forests. The title piece, a large canvas pinned to the wall, presents a typology of motifs like ex-votos: a fox head (animal intelligence), an owl (wisdom), a harnessed horse (physical strength), hands emerging from armor or a flaming heart, and a devil/dragon embracing a young girl reminiscent of Chassériau's Andromeda. Other works include figures seen from behind (referencing three criminals hiding their faces) and masks (fencing helmets embroidered with pearls). Direct references to current events include lead soldiers, a bomber, a female soldier in a heavy wool coat, and a portrait of a young Russian sailor. A painting reproduces the cover of an old Polish novel titled 'The End,' showing a skeletal tree against a heavy sky. The exhibition is brief but worth the detour, offering insight into Ivanova's inner demons and the broader context of being Russian today.