Title: State of Mind
Artists: Annica Karlsson Rixon & Anna Viola Hallberg
Media: Installation, 11 C-prints and 8 channel Video
Duration: 7 reels with about 35 min of interviews on each running independently looped, 1 reel backdrop, 30 min loop
Voice: Russian, English, Swedish
Subtitles: English & Russian
Original: 65 square meters, black box video installation + wallspace for 11 large format photographs.
Production year: 2008 (2006-2008)

State of Mind
State of Mind explores boundaries between ethics, legislation, prejudice and civic expectations in the LGBTQ life of Russia focusing on lesbians and bisexual women. It discusses subjects such as shortcomings vs. possibilities, belonging vs. alienation, appointed- vs. selected identity.

The foundation of the work is captured in personal stories and group portraits. The artists have been collaborating with organizations, activists and select individuals in St Petersburg during returning visits 2006-2008.

State of Mind introduces a discussion of intercultural perspectives to identity politics. The stories are selected from documentary material collected in great trust between the artists and the interviewees in fieldwork. Leadership, democracy and human rights are central matters.

On seven monitors all together 38 people politically and personally talk about life in St Petersburg addressing LGBTQ issues, East-West, private situations and confrontations, and the view of the future. They span in age from 17-67 and include students, journalists, psychologists, pole dancers, physicians, office workers, drivers, poets, lawyers, academics, business owners, rock stars, house wives etcetera. The video installation is constructed as a group portrait with a projection of the Neva River as a backdrop. In the large format photographs friends and families gather at different sites in St Petersburg.