Every Madonna
Was Once a Child
Was Once a Child
Exhibition | Arc Space London
6 — 8 March
6 — 8 March
Kiparis draws from her personal history — the unglamorous labor of raising twins amidst the isolation of a global pandemic and the precarity of migration — and from this lived experience canonizes a new Station of Love. Its centrepiece, the glass work Madonna with Two Infants, undoes the historical limits of how we view the Madonna, surrounded by a series of smaller glass works holding the radiant beauty written into every icon.
Previous event: Play Against War / 19 October 2025
Play Against War
Game Performance | Art Exhibition
We are currently working on an article exploring the phenomenon of Play, inspired by the works of such remarkable thinkers as Johan Huizinga, Rudolf Steiner, Esther Perel, Roger Caillois, Hermann Hesse, and Friedrich Schiller.
In the meantime, please enjoy a few photos from the exhibition:
In the meantime, please enjoy a few photos from the exhibition:
Previous event: A Time to Gather Stones
The Crypt Gallery, 20 July 2025
The Crypt Gallery, 20 July 2025
the crypt gallery
July 2025
July 2025
A Time to Gather Stones
A duo exhibition by artists Anna Kiparis and Anastasiia Aleksandrenko, exploring time and the treasured stories we gather like gemstones and preserve in the vaults of memory
The Crypt is transformed into a space of unique paintings and objects crafted from precious stones and metals, artworks born from canonical imagery and familiar narratives, reimagined by artists
The exhibits unfold in a carefully curated sequence, each accompanied by its own story, weaving together a living chronology of the shared narrative
The Crypt is transformed into a space of unique paintings and objects crafted from precious stones and metals, artworks born from canonical imagery and familiar narratives, reimagined by artists
Drawing inspiration from the words of Ecclesiastes, “a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather them”, the artists invite the viewer into a moment of gathering: of stones, of meaning, of lost treasures of faith and freedom.
The exhibits unfold in a carefully curated sequence, each accompanied by its own story, weaving together a living chronology of the shared narrative
Mother and Child
Oil on canvas, 120 x 90 cm
Oil on canvas, 120 x 90 cm
The captions to the artworks contain a quotation from the Bible and offer an interpretation that resonates with today’s understanding of the world
“To you is born this day a Saviour.”
Luke 2:11
The miracle arrives,
not as thunder, but as a child.
And yet, after so much waiting,
we may not know how to receive it.
We doubt, we hesitate, we look away.
The gift is real, but it asks for readiness.
Love comes gently, and we must be strong enough to trust it.
The miracle does not demand belief,
but it hopes to be welcomed.
The captions to the artworks contain a quotation from the Bible and offer an interpretation that resonates with today’s understanding of the world
Curator Anastasiiya Garnova sat down with artists Anna Kiparis and Anastasiia Alexandrenko to speak about time, place, and the chain of events that brought them together for their collaborative project A Time to Gather Stones.
“Right now, it feels like fate is leading the way, there’s a sense of surrender, emotions are heightened, and intuition spins and sings like a music box.”
“Meeting Anastasiia felt like a dream,” says Anna.
“I just knew I needed her for this project, and I reached out immediately. I was so lucky, she instantly offered a wonderful idea for an object that we’re now creating together. It will be the centrepiece of the exhibition, but for now, it’s a secret!”
“I had just received a grant, and it was as if the floodgates opened,” adds Anastasiiya. “I had several new projects in mind, and Anna appeared at exactly the right time. I think we were fortunate, the gallery responded right away, almost as if it had been made for us. And so it began! We met deep in one of London’s magical parks at a secret café, and the whole idea took shape. The very next day, I delivered the prototype to the casting studio.”
“I just knew I needed her for this project, and I reached out immediately. I was so lucky, she instantly offered a wonderful idea for an object that we’re now creating together. It will be the centrepiece of the exhibition, but for now, it’s a secret!”
“I had just received a grant, and it was as if the floodgates opened,” adds Anastasiiya. “I had several new projects in mind, and Anna appeared at exactly the right time. I think we were fortunate, the gallery responded right away, almost as if it had been made for us. And so it began! We met deep in one of London’s magical parks at a secret café, and the whole idea took shape. The very next day, I delivered the prototype to the casting studio.”
The sculpture The Cow on Balcony, crafted as a music box from silver and brass, has become the centerpiece of a collaboration between two artists. It is inspired by Gabriel García Márquez’s Autumn of the Patriarch, a story about a dictator so feared that even after his death, people are afraid to enter the palace to see for themselves. Only when a living cow appears on the palace balcony do they realize that no one remains inside. This sculpture depicts the cow on the balcony as a symbol of peace, hope, and freedom from dictatorship.
The exhibition received a strong response and engagement from the art community, was extended, and remains a collaborative project by artists Anna Kiparis and Anastasiia Aleksandenko, promising further developments. If you would like to support the artists and the project, please follow us at the bottom of the page.
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The Crypt Gallery Director: Anne Noble-Partridge
Exhibition Curator: Anastasiia Garnova
Artists:
Anna Kiparis
Anastasiia Aleksandrenko
Portrait/Photo: Marusia Makhmutova
Technical support: Max Barnash
Stage photographer: Elena Dildina
Light artist: Vadym Yatsun
Exhibition Curator: Anastasiia Garnova
Artists:
Anna Kiparis
Anastasiia Aleksandrenko
Portrait/Photo: Marusia Makhmutova
Technical support: Max Barnash
Stage photographer: Elena Dildina
Light artist: Vadym Yatsun
About
01
Artist
Anna has studied architecture to cultivate a deep understanding of spaces and styles —first physical and now the intangible realms where objects and symbols dwell. Her work delves into the environments these objects could create, shaped by the layers of cultural and historical essence embedded in them. Each piece reflects her pursuit of the hidden dialogues between space, symbolic structures, and the suggestive worlds they evoke.
02
Now: Cows and Baroque
The cow, often considered a mundane or humble creature, becomes a vessel for baroque ideas—excess, complexity, and blending of the natural and bizarre. In many cultures, the cow symbolizes fertility, nourishment, and life, but it transcends its utilitarian function in an artistic context. By placing the cow in the baroque sphere, the tension between beauty and brutality, consumption and reverence, death and renewal becomes palpable.
Series
Where Do Sacred Cows Roam
This series presents a collection of artworks and poetry exploring life's value through the symbol of the cow. Paintings, accompanied by original poems, delve into life's cultural and philosophical significance, portraying the cow as a powerful symbol of sanctity and transformation. The works reflect on the intersection of personal and universal experiences, blending classic and contemporary perspectives to offer a profound narrative on the enduring significance of the cow across traditions and beliefs.
cows in fresco
The series is inspired by the frescoes of the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, renowned for their striking beauty and enduring natural red hue. The sacredness of the rituals depicted in the frescoes and the various interpretations surrounding this enigmatic site reflect the quest for the divine in each character, akin to the early religious narratives, revealing the mysteries of initiation rituals and sacrifice. The cow embodies symbols of sacrifice and sanctity, serving as a complex protagonist in the artist's interpretation of the red frescoes of the Mysteries.
Cows FROM The Red Corner
The works follows the Christian Orthodox tradition typical for the icon in the Red Corner. The beloved icon is draped with fabric for a festive and sacred display, giving it a central role in the space. In the scene with the Cow Trinity, the fabric transforms the image into a Baroque-style mise-en-scène.
They exceptionally enhances any interior, with the colour and texture of silk harmonizing with a wall colour.
They exceptionally enhances any interior, with the colour and texture of silk harmonizing with a wall colour.
Macabre Cows
Macabre Cows is a series about processes we cannot see with the eye. The series depicts cows trapped in a dark space, swarming in the chaos of an unnatural environment. Even a kind and usually cheerful creature contains the energy of discord.
The Passion of the Cows
The works in this series follow the canon of Christian Orthodox painting, employing multi-layered colour application and natural gilding. The unique use of reverse perspective makes the viewer an observer of a sacred New Testament scene, where cows witness the holy actions and replace the images of angels and saints.
03
Where Do Sacred Cows Roam
The series of paintings, accompanied by original poems, delves into life's cultural and philosophical significance, portraying the cow as a powerful symbol of sanctity and transformation. These works create a safe space for the symbol to exist freely, where its meaning can unfold without external pressures. Reflecting on the intersection of personal and universal experiences, they blend classic and contemporary perspectives, offering a profound narrative on human and animal coexistence, where the cow becomes a vessel for exploring life’s more profound truths.
04
Authors technique
The artwork is created using mainly fingers instead of brushes, aiming to provide a tactile and personal touch. An acrylic base is mixed with oil paint particles to achieve intricate textures and patterns, which convey both dark and weathered surfaces as well as the feeling of ancient frescoes.
05
What's next?
Now I work with the theme of the exploitation of symbols in art and am currently exploring the use of the cow as a symbol in works from Rembrandt to Bacon, Hirst, and Marina Abramović. In these works, the cow continues symbolising everyday exploitation, embodying consumerism, beauty of death and sacrifice.
I create homages to artists who have used the cow as a symbol. The series I'm now working on is a homage to Ilya Glazunov's work titled 'On the Collective Farm Warehouse,' which depicts the interior of a church, frescoed walls in the background, and a cow's carcass hanging prominently. It reflects the 1930s in the USSR when using churches for slaughter intensified the ideology of rejecting religion.
I create homages to artists who have used the cow as a symbol. The series I'm now working on is a homage to Ilya Glazunov's work titled 'On the Collective Farm Warehouse,' which depicts the interior of a church, frescoed walls in the background, and a cow's carcass hanging prominently. It reflects the 1930s in the USSR when using churches for slaughter intensified the ideology of rejecting religion.
06
Cow Hommage
In my new series, I depict a fragments of a church interiors adorned with frescoes of cows. I explore the cow's colour and morphology as a living object and symbol, fluctuating between pastoralism and everyday life, and its sculptural, almost baroque curves and charm. Through this symbol, I aim to recreate multiple layers of historical and cultural meaning, stucked between violence and beauty, touching on the contemporary relationship to religion while continuing the tradition of this image in art.
Selected Events
Galleria Objets
Group Show
Holy Art
Group Show
Village Green Grocers
Solo Show
