Hardware

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2006
11 parts, 45 х 20 cm, bronze, mixed media

2007 – Documenta XII, Kassel, Germany
2007 – Kandinsky Prize, "Best Artist of the Year", Moscow
2008 – Stella Art galery, Moscow

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Until recently there were only ten countries in the world that manufactured tanks, including the USA, Russia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Republic of South Africa, Brazil and Israel. And yet there are eleven bronze sculptures in this series, which are small copies of tank turrets without guns or any furniture: one for each country and an additional mysterious Russian design that was never actually produced - a kind of weapon of the future which at the same time is a spoof.

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Devoid of their context and function, the turrets are hardly recognizable and thus appear almost abstract, but this provides an opportunity to look at them as pure forms, ones that are both brutal and refined. They now possess decorative qualities; their smooth, polished surfaces are aesthetically pleasing, though as originally industrially manufactured for a utilitarian purpose, were not meant to be. Even the material itself - bronze, traditionally used for sculptures - emphasizes this effect.

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All the pieces have the same original function, but adopt different forms. Thus, it's not their purpose that defines their plastic language (as, for instance, is the case with airplanes). Certainly, neither does aesthetic taste: tanks are not meant for the mass-market and their appearance is important. Therefore, Osmolovsky's sculptures underline that military designers have absolute freedom in expressing their ideal representation of bellicosity, defined by their personal taste, cultural background and nationality.

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