Army of Clones II

«Army of Clones ІІ» is a series of more than 200 sculptural fragments-copies of Maria Kulikovska's body. The series was created in spring 2013 and was shown at the gallery RuArts Foundation. «Army of Clones ІІ» is a continuation of the sculptural series «Army of Clones».

The fragments of the artist's body: face, hands, feet, fingers, part of stomach, shoulders and vulva were placed on the floor, on the wall and were chaotical scattered around the stair of the gallery. Maria Kulikovska researches her own body as a body of a woman and body as an architectural unit. Therefore, she works with the sculptural copies of her own body and with the exhibition and public space.

The fragments of the sculptures had terracotta and beige colors. That such a decision is a reference to ancient Greek culture, which has surrounded Maria Kulikovska since she was a child. Of course, the long-time work with the woman's body as its universum of social expression couldn't be cut off from an identifying sign of the body – the color. The external conditions and vulnerability of women's position in the society were rebirthed into the art protest. The artist started to create the sculptures-copies of her own body – the woman's body. Maria Kulikovska, oblivious to taboo and degrading treatment, multiplies own body and submits its existence in the public space. The artist's consciousness was strongly influenced by the Hellenistic culture: a caryatid as column-as-a-woman became one of the main metaphors of Kulikovska's artworks. The Crimean artist visualizes timeless issues of the role and social position of women. The artist's protest about the woman's position appeared in the placement of the sculptural fragments of «Army of Clones ІІ» on the gallery's stair. The stairs symbolize the vertical linkages and hierarchy.

One year after the exhibition at the RuArts the Revolution of Dignity started in Ukraine. Communication with the RuArts Foundation was lost and some of the sculptures were left in the collection of RuArts.