terror loop
This project is a provocative exploration of violence, stigma, and fear through a feminist lens, blending historical and contemporary narratives. Triggered by the media’s fixation on terrorism, Yelena connected it to medieval werewolf paranoia, drawing parallels in how societies stigmatize and target individuals deemed threats. Both phenomena reflect an exaggerated response to perceived dangers, underscored by cultural anxieties and systemic power dynamics. In this series of collages, Yelena interweaves found footage of suicide bombers, werewolves, and U.S. soldiers, symbolizing distinct yet intertwined embodiments of violence and fear. By printing these images on greenish paper with an inkjet printer, she imbues them with a faded, spectral quality, evoking a sense of historical continuity and collective memory. The diagonal slicing of these images into 8mm strips, followed by their reassembly into hybrid forms, creates eerie and alienating visuals that challenge traditional binaries—human versus monster, perpetrator versus victim, and reality versus myth. Through this process, Yelena critiques patriarchal structures that perpetuate violence and manipulate fear to uphold control. The merging of images dismantles clear distinctions, reflecting feminist theory’s emphasis on deconstructing rigid categorizations and interrogating the power relations embedded in representation. The disorienting collages embody the unpredictability and irrationality of violent outbursts while exposing the mechanisms through which societies construct and otherize threats. By juxtaposing werewolves and terrorists, Yelena invites viewers to reconsider how fear is manufactured and weaponized, resonating with feminist critiques of marginalization and systemic violence.
