Kirill Kuletski- SPELEOTHERAPY

(Images taken from http://www.kuletski.com/projects/ukr16.htm)

Artist Summary 

Kirill Kuletski is a photographer born in Russia, now living in London. His current work looks at using photography as a means to capture mood. The images above are from a project called 'Speleotherapy' a treatment which helps those suffering asthma and respiratory diseases at a centre near Romania.

My Thoughts

Although these images may look like an installation, they are actually a real experience where those suffering asthma can go to get treated. The patients stay here, underground for 24 days and there can be as many as 200 patients at any one time.

My reason for looking at Kirill Kuletski's in this instance is due to the nature of the images. I found them immediately fascinating and almost representing some sort of prison. However, people go here by choice, and it seems crazy! However, my main reason for finding these images so intriguing is the fact that they represent somewhere being a temporary home to people, much like my portable home idea. The notion that people live in temporary accommodation on a regular basis had never really occurred to me but is actually a very real thing, whether it be a hospital or a holiday. However, in this instance the whole treatment centre feels very make shift in comparison with usual places of treatment. It's strange to me as the area as a whole feels like it's outside, yet it is actually 300 metres underground. It made me think how underground areas don't represent home as no-one ever really lives that far underground.

Kuletski's images feel installation like, yet they are obviously very real and happening everyday. The main attraction for me to these images is that I feel I could create a very similar feeling and atmosphere within my own project. Perhaps creating beds outdoors or having chairs outdoors. By placing these objects in an unknown environment is very appealing to me and relates well with what I am trying to achieve. I like the familiarity of everyday homely objects, such as chairs and tables yet in an unnatural surrounding.