C-Type, 58 x 41 cm.
For over four decades, Sergei Sviatchenko’s collage practice has navigated and reshaped the evolving terrain of visual culture, tracing the seismic shifts in how we create and consume images. As the founder and artistic director of the LESS festival of contemporary collage, currently exhibited in Denmark, Sviatchenko extends his artistic vision beyond the individual artwork, creating a space where collage emerges not merely as a technique, but as a philosophical lens—a method of reassembling meaning from the scattered fragments of modern life.
C-Type, 58 x 41 cm.
Through collage I try to make my vision of the day understandable for me and my viewers by taking some recognizable images out of the expected into the unknown. And in this process I limit myself to two or three elements. This is the theory of my “LESS” approach to collage making which I have worked on over 20 years. Sometimes I deconstruct the known scenarios in order to reconstruct them into new “aesthetic surprise”
C-Type, 58 x 41 cm.
C-Type, 140 x 100 cm.
C-Type, 58 x 41 cm.
After working with collage for more than 40 years I have founded LESS festival mainly as a wish to define contemporary collage. Since our first festival in 2020, we have run the LESS Academy in Viborg, teaching creative practitioners and young people how to work with collage. Now as a triennial, LESS Festival will provide a new platform for focusing key artists in this media and showing global viewers their variety and influence, as well as develop LESS Education program and international satellite events.
C-Type, 58 x 41 cm.
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Sergei Sviatchenko (b. 1952, Ukraine) is a contemporary artist and architect known for his pioneering work in collage. Blending modernist aesthetics with surrealist undertones, Sviatchenko’s practice bridges the realms of architecture, fine art, and fashion. His compositions often juxtapose fragmented images of everyday objects, landscapes, and historical figures, creating dreamlike visual narratives.
A central figure in the evolution of modern collage, his works have been exhibited internationally in galleries and museums. Sviatchenko’s innovative approach to image-making has also left a significant mark on contemporary visual culture, particularly within editorial and fashion contexts.
For Your Viewing Pleasure
HANS BREDER (1935–2020) was an artist and photographer known for his work blending disciplines, especially through his use of mirrors in photography. His iconic "Body/Sculptures" series juxtaposed human figures with reflective surfaces, creating fragmented and distorted perceptions of the body in space.
DERRICK ADAMS (b. 1970) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, collage, sculpture, and performance, often exploring themes of Black identity, culture, and leisure.
THOMAS ALLEN is a photographer known for his playful use of vintage book covers, from which he creates three-dimensional dioramas. His style involves carefully cutting out figures from pulp fiction novels and folding them to create dynamic scenes, often with a surreal or humorous twist.
DOUGLAS GORDON is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans video, photography, performance, and text. He is best known for recontextualizing familiar imagery, often through the manipulation of time, memory, and perception.
YOO NAUL, South Korean, b. 1978
Out and About
What to watch, read, and experience, as curated by the Collé team.
▼ ATTEND
Collage in Curation + Media – Oct. 25th
Mario Zoots, Jason Chen, and Yuval Etgar will engage in a discussion on curation and media in contemporary collage this Friday evening in Philadelphia.
▼ READ
Collages For Magazines by Mat Maitland
Throughout his career, Maitland has created captivating imagery for a multitude of magazines. This body of work serves as a testament to his creative journey, tightly curated from 15 years of contributions across diverse publications and collaborations.
▼ LISTEN
Shades by Good Sad Happy Bad
This album blends lo-fi textures with experimental pop, creating an intimate and eclectic soundscape. The album explores contrasting emotions through minimalist instrumentation and dreamy vocals, capturing a raw, introspective energy.
