Sanya Kantarovsky's 'Letdown' at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo

Sanya Kantarovsky's exhibition 'Letdown' at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin explores the psychological impact of architecture through a mural of a demolished Khrushchyovka, a Soviet prefabricated housing block symbolizing decay. Steel turtles from playgrounds reinforce scenes of daily life, contrasting Eastern and Western experiences. The show features distorted, emaciated figures in forced actions, highlighting domination, manipulation, and ambiguous relationships. Kantarovsky's influences range from Ensor and Grosz to German Expressionism, Soviet avant-garde illustration, Kafkaesque humor, Russian folk art, and Italian Mannerism. The title 'Letdown' plays on delusion and breastfeeding, as seen in a work where a child clings to a mother's back, desperately seeking milk. Hands recur as motifs—applauding, beating, restraining—creating unstable, grotesque representations. The exhibition runs at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin.