In November 2024, Vladimir Kordiukov presented Shadow is Gold at Square Café on Wildenbruchstraße 88 in Berlin’s Neukölln district. The exhibition marked the fifth collaborative project between the artist and the café, continuing their ongoing cooperation within Berlin’s local art scene.
Kordiukov combines cloisonné painting, hot batik and collage to create layered compositions in which light and darkness constantly interact. Golden details mark the boundaries of the shadows, bring out their texture and give them a stronger presence within the image. The works change with the surrounding light and the viewer’s position, revealing different relationships between their elements.
The title refers to the familiar expression “silence is golden” and shifts its meaning towards the unseen. Here, the shadow becomes a form of quiet presence, something that may remain unnoticed yet holds an important place within the composition.
The project draws on visual traditions associated with iconography and jewellery, particularly in its use of gold and ornamental detail. Kordiukov brings these references into a contemporary context, creating works where the sacred and the everyday, the visible and the hidden meet
Presented in the intimate setting of Square Café, the exhibition continued Kordiukov’s artistic presence in Berlin and reflected his long-standing connection with the Neukölln venue.
Shadow is Gold, Cafe Square, Berlin, Germany, 2024
Still Life with a Bunch of Grapes
hot batik, enamel, acrylic, varnish, 70 × 50 cm
Still Life with a a Lute
hot batik, enamel, acrylic, varnish, 70 × 50 cm
Composition 221, 1996
acrylic, wax, tinted varnish, assemblage · 65 x 95 cm
Girl bending over a vase, 2006
acrylic, wax, tinted varnish, assemblage · 65 x 95 cm
Shadow is Gold in media
2024 Instagram — Shadow is Gold. Publication documenting Vladimir Kordiukov’s exhibition at Square Café, Berlin. LINK to the publication
2024 The Square Café — Shadow is Gold by Vladimir Kordiukov. Visitor review describing the exhibition and the combination of cloisonné painting, hot batik and collage. LINK to the publication
2024 Artsper — Vladimir Kordiukov. Artist profile and selected exhibition history, including a solo presentation at The Square, Berlin, in 2024. LINK to the artist profile
2024 48 Stunden Neukölln — Voiced Silence. Collage Storytelling. Official festival programme listing Vladimir Kordiukov’s presentation at Café Square, Wildenbruchstr. 88, on 29–30 June 2024. LINK to the publication
2024 48 Stunden Neukölln — Voiced Silence. Collage Storytelling. German edition of the official Café Route East programme. LINK to the publication