"ELUSIVE BEAUTY" BY KONSTANTIN ZMOGK

In 2018 the Moscow City Duma drew up official rules for graffiti. The regulations set out an intricate bureaucratic procedure for getting artworks approved and limit topics that are allowed for artists: science, sport, historical events and "outstanding personalities". True beauty and vibe of street art left the city walls. Freedom of expression was replaced by the advertisement, propaganda murals and images that appeal to a broader audience. The main standard of beauty by which murals are now judged is based on the plainness of artworks.

"Elusive Beauty" by Konstantin Zmogk is a response to the street art policy of Moscow authorities sent from Ekaterinburg, the street art capital of Russia. It is also a tricky examination of a common man's perception of beauty. The portrait of a conventionally beautiful girl blends in with the abstract background, her image permanently slipping away from the observer's eye. Most of the people acknowledge the work as "beautiful" only when they discern a girl's pretty face. These are the mind games Zmogk is playing with the audience. The artist has been involved in street culture since the mid-1990s and is considered a pioneer of the graffiti scene in Russia. He implemented a combination of abstract and figurative style into enormous murals and collaborations with brands like Perrier, Converse and BMW.