"Mud Placebo" is a photo project shot at a mud resort in Sol-Iletsk. Every summer, thousands of people come here to cover their bodies in black therapeutic mud. They seek hope and salvation when conventional medicine fails.
Into this black mass of people, I introduced a vivid contrast. I painted my entire body a neon purple color — my signature artistic persona — and stood next to the vacationers on the beach.
The most surprising aspect was the people's reaction. In a place where everyone sincerely believes in miracles, no one saw me as contemporary art. Vacationers approached me in all seriousness, asking: "What does this purple composition help with, and where can I get it?" People exhausted by illness were ready to believe in the healing properties of ordinary paint simply because they desperately want to be healed.

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