EXHIBITION
Best Air Conditioner Repair
25.04 – 29.05.2026
Olya Kroytor
ABOUT
Syntax gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Olya Kroytor. In a new series of paintings and objects, the artist continues her search for equilibrium between the genuine and the imagined, the unbearable and the indispensable, the real and the possible.
“Yesterday, today, tomorrow… At first it seems like the past: children’s building blocks, old Soviet newspapers, fragments of 1990s comics, familiar forms. But then something fails to align. The lines do not lead where they should, the scenes do not cohere, the images seem to remember something else—not what they once were. You look, and realize: this is not a reconstruction—it is a place where things have forgotten their purpose.
Photographs operate differently. In them, everything is in its place: space, light, objects. The situation uncovers immediately: someone is meant to enter, sit down, continue. But this does not happen. Gradually, the distinction between the constructed and the found ceases to function. In both cases, the same remains: the scene exists, but it is not enacted. As in Konstantin Stanislavski’s ‘given circumstances,’ yet the role remains vacant. And then something else returns.
‘Best Air Conditioner Repair’—as a formula in which everything is accounted for except the event itself. The event is not cancelled—it does not begin. It remains in a state where everything is ready, yet nothing proceeds further. And in this, a silence emerges. Extremely precise. Almost calm.”
“Yesterday, today, tomorrow… At first it seems like the past: children’s building blocks, old Soviet newspapers, fragments of 1990s comics, familiar forms. But then something fails to align. The lines do not lead where they should, the scenes do not cohere, the images seem to remember something else—not what they once were. You look, and realize: this is not a reconstruction—it is a place where things have forgotten their purpose.
Photographs operate differently. In them, everything is in its place: space, light, objects. The situation uncovers immediately: someone is meant to enter, sit down, continue. But this does not happen. Gradually, the distinction between the constructed and the found ceases to function. In both cases, the same remains: the scene exists, but it is not enacted. As in Konstantin Stanislavski’s ‘given circumstances,’ yet the role remains vacant. And then something else returns.
‘Best Air Conditioner Repair’—as a formula in which everything is accounted for except the event itself. The event is not cancelled—it does not begin. It remains in a state where everything is ready, yet nothing proceeds further. And in this, a silence emerges. Extremely precise. Almost calm.”
Olya Kroytor
ARTIST
Olya Kroytor (B. 1986, Moscow). Lives and works between Iceland and Austria. Kroytor is a contemporary artist whose work spans performance, installations, and visual art, with a focus on themes of identity, space, and freedom. Her installations often blend minimalist elements and audience interaction, prompting reflections on isolation and connection. Kroytor’s art uniquely merges the universalism of the Russian avant-garde with personal and generational memories, creating a dialogue between the cultural and the intimate. Her paintings and wooden panels are marked by strong structural aesthetics, yet they resonate on an individual level with deeply personal narratives. Balancing contrasts like social and personal spheres, and strength with vulnerability, her performances explore the pursuit of inner equilibrium. Recognized for her impact, she was awarded the Kandinsky Prize in 2015, and her work is held in prominent collections including the National Gallery of Iceland, Musée Régional D’art Contemporain, Sérignan, France, and the New Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Member of The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists (SÍM).
