The exhibition Appropriated Gazes features over 25 digital prints on etching board. In these works, Lilyana Dvoryanova draws upon Renaissance and classical portraits, “appropriating” the eyes and gazes from these works to create entirely new images and stories.
In her art, Dvoryanova explores how gazes from the past find expression in our time, what stories they evoke, and whether they withstand digital transformation—casting light from the past onto the new visual environment in which they are placed.
The eyes have long been believed to be a gateway to the soul. From the Fayum portraits to modern art, the Eye has represented expression, depth, and an infinity beyond—a personal essence, with something “impersonal” gazing back. A gaze that looks outward, yet also inward. In the gaze, we capture the Other as if in a net.
In modern art, however, eyes are different—sometimes cut out, often flattened. They are not a “revelation” but a “barrier.” Are we really so different?
In Appropriated Gazes, I sought to appropriate the profound gaze of Renaissance and classical paintings, placing it within the framework of contemporary aesthetics, almost as a test: which will prevail? Where is the “center”? Will the “deep gaze” consume our present time? Are we looking, or are we being watched?
