Full author's text to the work:

I Believe, or The Philistine World of Political Animals

August 9, 2020

The action explores the surreal and absurd ritual called “The Election of the President of the Republic of Belarus.” This procedure, in my understanding, is a ceremonial eccentric farce at the intersection of a modern religious cult and the hierarchical animal behavior of primates. It is an evolutionary biological process where intelligence is replaced by instincts and hormones, sexual dominance and violence, and where religion plays the role of a catalyst for the processes of electing the president as the alpha animal of the territory.

The action aims to destroy the fairy tale about democracy and bring to the surface an objective picture of power — the animalistic structure of the state, veiled under social mechanisms, where animal instincts are elevated to a religious cult. I transform this image into a simple gesture — a phallic symbol drawn in blood, which is understandable to any viewer, regardless of their political views or attitude towards contemporary art.

Voter choice, as an instrument of freedom, is absent in Belarus, and is replaced by the phantasmagoric illusion of the post-election — where lies are technologized and where power is inaccessible to the ordinary person. A voter, by casting their vote, falls victim to a pseudo-democratic act of deception, de facto strengthening the plutocratic system built by the state while believing in the sanctity of those who shout louder than others from the stands and compare genitals with their opponents. The ordinary person has no freedom of action. He or she has the right to draw a check mark — a sign of conformity with a particular religious group. A person turns into biological oil, existing for the law, instead of the law being human life and the right to state-building belonging to the people.

The election of a president in Belarus is as absurd as an election in a high security prison. The system of popular beliefs that form the basis of a regulated space called “the state” manifests the deep pseudo-democratic absurdity of the animal nature of man in a catastrophic interweaving of farce and stupidity.

The action aims to expose the deceitful fabric of the political world in the Republic of Belarus and seek an alternative state system.

A prayer for democracy

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of political rulers. We believe in our righteous — thieves, prostitutes, sycophants, crooks — in all our holy elite, with their ugly mugs, skewed honesty, and angelic halos who proclaim the laws of the heavens. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God-the politician has established. And we do not need a managing director, we need a sovereign leader. Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God. Cursed be he! May the sword of hell pierce his soul! May lightning reduce his flesh to ashes! And there shall be no memory of him.

Stand for sacred democracy. Be christened in it and receive communion. And you shall shine a martyr to your masters, who you are commanded to believe. May you become a weapon of the almighty fathers — the gods of heaven, the indisputable Olympians. You shall be a cell of their incorruptible body. May you be protected from the cunning devil keeping watch around the corner from the slanderer of the lies of the father who speaks of the absence of democracy. And whoever believes shall after death end up dangling from vines in the Presidential Church. And let our flock serve the Almighty Jehovah. Is there no higher blessing?!

And many-headed beasts shall come out of the earth and water with horns, with names on their blasphemous faces. And the dragon-Satan shall command them to destroy our holy faith. And the false prophet shall say that there is no democracy. And it shall deceive and seduce us, so that we depart from our sun faith. But we believe! Where there is equality, there is freedom. Where there is freedom, there is equality. And only so. And whoever abandons this faith — may their family be cursed until the end of time! Let the demon make a nest from the giblets of their soul!

Freedom is the sting of demons. The devil desires it with his black soul. Let us crucify and despise any manifestation of abstract freedom without faith in a leader. The righteous have dreamed of royal judgments over us. And if we are destined to perish at their hands who took the knife — so be it! Trust in the presidency of one. Desire him alone. Suck only the hard florid rod of the king of infinite glory. For the sovereign is a jealous man. He shall not tolerate rivalry for love. For our soul is the image of the master.

Our God! Father! Being president here on earth, proclaiming life-giving commandments. How long shall we be stupid and not place all our hope on our golden ruler?! Master! Teach us to do Your will! And you shall die and decompose. And others shall take your place. And we shall believe them, we shall die for their thoughts, we shall swallow the blood of our children and eat their bones. May we not lose our chains in the pursuit of freedom. May any revolution burn in a diabolical inferno.

OW! OW! Owoo! Ahhhh! Ah ah ah owoo! AAAAaarg! Grrrrrrrr…. Owooo! OW ow OW ow OWOO!!!!