The small-format work Molecule (straw) is like an elegant piece of jewellery; reduced to a few shades of colour, simple straws take on new optical qualities. The simplicity of the object is abrogated by the complicated method of representation. This is achieved by the over-dimensional straw, which has no relation to the size of the whole picture, and its apparent doubling in the two parts of the diptych. The flip effect of the work, which reflects the image round an imaginary axis, contributes to the optical illusion. The straws seem to float in deep space and, depending on the way the light falls, allow differing forms of perception. Vadim Fiškin, who studied architecture in Moscow, joins natural science, technology and aesthetic experience in his work over and over again. The process also allows elements of the Russian avant-garde to be reflected – the basis of his formal language.

Heike Maier, 2005 (translation: Tim Sharp)