Lyuda Kalinichenko
Индустриальный младенец
Скульптура создана в составе арт-группы ЛККЛ (Людмила Калиниченко/Ксения Ларина) для фестиваля уличного искусства ЧӦ
Video documentation of RETREAT, Lyuda Kalinichenko, 2026. Recorded on the SCA-2 Art Satellite.
Courtesy of Xu Bing Space Art Residency
RETREAT is a video performance by Lyuda Kalinichenko, created especially for the Xu Bing Space Art Residency.
On 8 April 2026, the video was shown on the screen of the SCA-2 Art Satellite in low Earth orbit, approximately 400 kilometres above the Earth.
The word retreat means withdrawing from a place, person or situation in order to avoid conflict, pressure or danger. It can also mean a temporary withdrawal into a quiet and safe space in order to preserve oneself.
Video performance RETREAT, Lyuda Kalinichenko, 2026. Recorded on the SCA-2 Art Satellite.
Courtesy of Xu Bing Space Art Residency
In the video, the artist’s body appears against a black background in a foetal position, making barely visible movements.
This position brings together vulnerability and trust: such stillness is only possible where there is a feeling of safety, where the body can stop defending itself. The duration of the video — 90 seconds — becomes a compressed temporal metaphor for nine months of existence in the womb. The black background is perceived as cosmic space and continues beyond the limits of the screen.
In this way, the idea of shelter expands to a universal scale.
Video performance RETREAT, Lyuda Kalinichenko, 2026. Recorded on the SCA-2 Art Satellite.
Courtesy of Xu Bing Space Art Residency
In the video, the artist’s body appears against a black background in a foetal position, making barely visible movements.
This position brings together vulnerability and trust: such stillness is only possible where there is a feeling of safety, where the body can stop defending itself. The duration of the video — 90 seconds — becomes a compressed temporal metaphor for nine months of existence in the womb. The black background is perceived as cosmic space and continues beyond the limits of the screen.
In this way, the idea of shelter expands to a universal scale.
The performance turns towards an inner state that comes before language and social time, making visible the metaphor:
We are We Are Children Born of the Universe.
Through technology, this metaphor becomes almost literal. The work transfers the themes of the womb, sleep and meditative states into the realm of technological infrastructure, where the body exists as a signal and a trace. Here, technology does not simply illustrate outer space; it creates the conditions for experiencing it.
The satellite acts as a mediator between human fragility and infinity.
Launch of the Smart Dragon-3 rocket carrying the SCA-2 Art Satellite, 24 September 2024.
Courtesy of Xu Bing Space Art Residency.
