NEITHER / NOR: The Intimate Geography of Contradictions

by Darriel Patrick

10/3/2026

Indra Gallery | 2 March – 5 March 2026

Location
20 East Road, Old Street
London N1 6AD

CARC presented NEITHER / NOR: The Intimate Geography of Contradictions, an exhibition curated by Michaëla Hadji-Minaglou and Alina Khalitova, organised in collaboration with Indra Gallery and the Nina Miller Collection. The exhibition took place from 2 to 5 March 2026 and formed part of CARC’s ongoing programme dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging artists and fostering dialogue between contemporary practices and significant private collections.

Bringing together historical works from the Nina Miller Collection alongside contemporary artistic practices, the exhibition explored the productive tensions that arise between opposing forces — between figuration and abstraction, visibility and concealment, order and instinct.

At the core of the exhibition were lithographs by Paul Wunderlich and paintings by Aline Gaiad, whose works established the conceptual and atmospheric foundation of the project. The selection of works by Wunderlich included Untitled (from a Denoël edition) (1972), Jagdpösie (Hunt Poetry) (1983), Zwischen zwei Altern (Between Two Ages)(1992), Mit Federhut und schwarzem Mantel (With Feathered Hat and Black Coat) (1972), Weiblicher Akt (Female Nude)(1971), and Der Mandrill (Mandrill) (1971). These lithographs moved between the real and the imaginary, intertwining photographic origins, hunting scenes, and art historical references ranging from the bestiaries of Albrecht Dürer to the enigmatic portraits associated with the School of Fontainebleau.

Alongside these works, paintings by Aline Gaiad — including Free Hugs (2021), The Blue-Eyed Polar Bear (2021), and Sol da Terra (2020) — contributed to the exhibition’s surreal and transformative atmosphere, where familiar forms appeared reimagined and symbolic associations unfolded across layered imagery.

In dialogue with these works, the exhibition presented contemporary practices by Aksinia Kupriianova, Elena Magerramova, Lola Alimova, Valeriy Iakovlev, Varvara Dmitrieva, Viktoria Sokolova, and Zibeyda Seyidova. Each artist approached contradiction as a generative condition, examining the fragile balance between opposing forces that shape perception, identity, and form.

In the paintings of Valeriy Iakovlev, presented through Untitled (Study for Sculpture) (2024), and in Viktoria Sokolova’s diptych Cobalt Echo I & II (2026), structured frameworks interacted with fluid, organic forms. Sokolova’s use of the grid fragmented pictorial space, yet rather than imposing rigidity, it created an environment in which tensions could emerge and evolve over time. Iakovlev’s work similarly explored the dialogue between instinct and order, suggesting an equilibrium between force and resistance inherent within natural systems.

A comparable oscillation between presence and absence informed the paintings of Aksinia Kupriianova, represented by Stars (2025) and Two Faces (2026), where light and darkness existed in constant negotiation. Meanwhile, Varvara Dmitrieva presented Mask (2023), a sculptural object composed of wood, sheep’s wool and acrylic on board, which had previously appeared in recorded and photographed performances. The mask materialised presence within absence and functioned as a symbolic site where fragmented identities could reconnect.

Materiality and perception were central to several works in the exhibition. Lola Alimova, through Against the Frame(2023), foregrounded the physical structure of painting by outlining the stretcher frame in oil pastel, revealing the hidden architecture of the canvas. Elena Magerramova presented The Surface (2026), The Image (2026), and The Screen(2025), exploring the relationship between image, transparency, and perception. Zibeyda Seyidova’s paintings Where Silence Dwells (2025) and Veil of Presence (2025) invited prolonged attention, unfolding through rhythm, density, and subtle shifts of material presence.

Rather than resolving oppositions, NEITHER / NOR: The Intimate Geography of Contradictions proposed a space where contradictions could coexist. Echoing André Breton’s idea that certain states of mind dissolve the boundaries between opposites, the exhibition invited viewers to consider balance not as resolution but as a sustained tension within an unstable world.

Through this exhibition, CARC continued its mission to organise platforms where emerging artists could be seen alongside established works, creating new contexts for dialogue between generations, collections, and contemporary artistic research.

CARC invites artists and audiences to follow its upcoming news and open calls, which form an essential part of the organisation’s programme supporting emerging artistic practices. Through these open calls, artists are selected through an anonymous submission process, after which projects are reviewed and curated by invited curators. This approach ensures a fair and thoughtful selection while creating opportunities for new voices to enter the exhibition programme.

CARC will continue its collaboration with the Nina Miller Collection, and the curators are currently developing the concept for the next exhibition to take place in a London gallery. Artists whose practices resonate with the forthcoming curatorial framework may be selected through the open call process and will have the opportunity to present their work alongside artworks of significant historical and museum-level value within the gallery space.

Curators

Michaëla Hadji-Minaglou is a London-based curator, writer and communications consultant working in the field of contemporary art. She previously served as Gallery Manager at Afikaris Gallery in Paris (2020–2025), where she curated exhibitions, developed international gallery strategy, and represented artists at major art fairs across Europe, the United States and Africa. Her practice focuses on discovering and supporting emerging artists, developing curatorial narratives, and building connections between artists, collectors and institutions.

Alina Khalitova is a curator and art practitioner born in Kazakhstan and working between London and New York, and based in London. She studied art history at the Saint Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts and completed the Interpretation of Contemporary Art programme at the Paideia School of Contemporary Art. A member of the PARAZIT art collective since 2015, her practice explores experimental exhibition formats and collaborative artistic projects. Khalitova has participated in numerous exhibitions internationally and received the CERINNO Prize by the Nina Miller Collection (2021).