Black Diamond

As Mykyta Zigura continues to develop the sculptural project he’s been working on since 2015, the Biblical story about the most coveted fruit in Eden (Forbidden Fruit, 2016) is replaced with an ironic depiction of manmade objects.

The local farmers of Nyingchi, China, grow unique black apples that shine like diamonds in their flowering gardens. Residents of the small village take great pride in the unusual color of these fruit, and the technology for growing them is kept secret, driving up the demand and volume of orders from around the globe. Therefore, this precious apple is an object of desire for privileged communities, and remains inaccessible to the broad public. This raises not only internal social questions but also addresses ecological problems important for mindful consumers (the artificial coloring of fruit from the Nyingchi province is at odds with the natural apple palette). The colors typical for the environment across centuries have come to be replaced with cold metallic hues or striking vibrant shades of the streets of urbanized spaces.

Mykyta Zigura’s Black Diamond marks another attempt to draw attention to global climate change provoked by humankind’s blatantly wasteful approach to exhaustible resources. Art has direct effect on communities, but one project cannot change the world. It is a long-term process comprised of cultural and educational initiatives, actions and art objects. For example, the artist’s eco-installation City, Regular Planning is made of sorted refuse and symbolizes diverse yet equally polluted corners of the Earth.