Faf and Tsalar Honoring, 2021 a project of the Institute for Mastering of Time composed of the artists Arseny Zhilyaev, Asya Volodina, Nika Ham, Nikolay Karabinovych and Vika Zhuravleva. The Institute owes its name to the theoretical writing of Valerian Muravyov, who proposed the possibility of scientifically ‘mastering time’ drawn on a unique mix of mathematical set theory, Henri Bergson’s philosophy of time and Nikolai Fedorov’s idea of technological immortality and resurrection. The project Faf and Tsalar Honoring takes the form of a participatory performance that functions between museological and dance zones. It is set in a moment in the future where humanity has reached the point of division between those who can and cannot control matter. The performance functions as a LARP (live action role play) and aims to bring the participants closer to Eternity.

Galeria Foco, Lisbon 2021

Institute for Mastering of Time (IMT)- Arseny Zhilyaev, Asya Volodina, Nika Ham and Nikolai Kharabinovich “International Meeting of Insects. Faf reports on the outbreak of hostilities, on the mobilization of all mankind against termites. Shows military preparations of people on the screen. Counter-mobilization of all insects is required. Speeches of ants (peace with termites), bees, wasps, etc. The decision to arm everyone with a ray of Faf. Combined actions. General battle with people and the victory of insects. Insects take over the human city. The screen shows people who have been enslaved and replace the beasts of burden. Some of them are chasing slaughterhouses to deliver meat to the victors.” This fragment from the sketch for the unwritten novel „Rise of Radio Insects” by the Soviet cosmist Valerian Muravyov (1885-1932) precedes the scene entitled „Faf and Tsalar honoring.” 

The scene, or rather one of its possible interpretations, is used by the Eternals – employees of the Institute for Mastering Time – in their experiment of the same name to optimize reality. The Institute owes its name to the theoretical writing of Muravyov, who proposed the possibility of scientifically ‘mastering time’ drawn on a unique mix of mathematical set theory, Henri Bergson’s philosophy of time and Nikolai Fedorov’s idea of technological immortality and resurrection. ” Faf and Tsalar honoring” – laboratory training in the form of a rave of insects and people who supported their uprising. Although we are talking about the time-sector of 2021, the celebration was created according to the patterns of a possible future, where instead of the usual musical vinyl, time plates are twisted, and the bodies of the participants, under the guidance of the Eternals, become a medium for the indignation of the structures of language of forthcoming. 

The organization of trainings for Temporals in different parts of the space-time continuum is a common practice of the Institute. Its goal is to find those capable of controlling matter and their subsequent involvement in work. “The new city of insects. Faf’s speech in the square. Humanity is at our feet. The earth is in our power. We have reached an unprecedented culture. But that’s not all. We have to go further ”- this is the plan of the laboratory party after which some will become closer to Eternity. 

The Institute for Mastering Time is an organization of the Eternals dedicated to optimizing the matrices of space-time organization. It is believed that the Eternals come to our sector of the Universe from inaccessible zones of the multiverse or from a poorly grasped future (gray time zones). The activities of the IMT are mainly represented by trainings, which are organized by a group of volunteers in order to test the abilities of earthlings to master matter. Most of the trainings use the form of live action role play (LARP) and the using of works of art, involving a group of 3 to 15 people. The name of the institute is usually attributed to the researchers of the Soviet cosmist Valerian Muravyov, who proposed using the „productive mathematics” of the world to achieve the maximum possible optimization of space-time, victory over death and the resurrection of all who have ever lived. Eternals believe that at this stage of humankind’s development the most accessible means of achieving Muravyov’s goals is the art system, since it acts as a prototype model for the future technologies of mastering time. IMT projects were shown at the Bard Graduate Center (New York), Modern Gallery (Ljubljana), Bonner Kunsthale (Stockholm), Garage Museum (Moscow), Manifesta 13 (Marseille). 

Goyki3 Art Inkubator, 2021