Whitу on white, 2024

multimedia installation: hand- and machine embroidery on a textile, video 12 min

The official international name Belarus remains widely unrecognized. Historically derived from “White Rus”, it has often been mistranslated as “White Russia” or adapted from the Russian “Belorussia”, reinforcing misconceptions about the country’s identity. Using traditional Belarusian embroidery as both a medium and a metaphor, “White on White” explores this issue through two interwoven approaches. The first part addresses the problem of mistranslation through a video installation featuring 23 versions of Belarus’s name, cited from online sources. The second part examines the idea of an alternative name—one that does not reference another country or historical entity. As part of the work, the artist proposes a new name and conducts a public survey, inviting Belarusians to contribute their own ideas.

The white-on-white embroidery highlights invisibility, fragility, and Belarus’s uncertain place in global perception. The delicate stitches, though barely visible, remain—just like the ongoing search for recognition and national identity.