Russia today: Porcelain tint in front of a mirrored skyscraper facade

Glossy skin and graceful, almost calculatingly beautiful female bodies in underwear against the backdrop of an urban cityscape are featured in the photographs, which resemble photorealistic paintings. Naturally, they are digitally manipulated to the extreme. The latest works by Katerina Belkina are on display at the Schöneberg gallery, The Ballery – alongside works by three other Russian artists living in Berlin: Igor Skaletsky, Natalia Korotyaeva, and Vera Kochubei. Belkina is also known for her self-portraits, so it's no surprise that she also stages herself in the new photo series, which was created in her hometown, the urban, post-socialist environment of the million-strong city of Samara, with a questioning gaze that looks out of the frame. In contrast, the Israel-based Skaletsky stages his images like the covers of glossy magazines, yet he disrupts the ancient character of his paintings with modern details like a metal detector.