Dogs are friends and protectors of people and their homes. Human deaths are plain to see, but this work seeks to remind of tragedies that slip out of attention. An animal's life is tied to its owners and home. Even the sharpest and most fearsome teeth and the keenest hearing are powerless against human inventions designed to destroy all living things. The dog, which from afar seems to be sleeping in the corner of the house, is dead, and we know why.
The sculptural installation explores the invisible tragedies of war through the image of a deceased dog. Created from fragments of a destroyed house – boards, beams, and reinforcement bars – the work is placed in the corner of the exhibition space. From afar, the silhouette resembles a sleeping animal, but up close, it reveals itself as charred remains fused with elements of domestic architecture. My first encounter with the power of dogs happened years ago, when a guard dog nearly attacked me through a hole in a fence. That moment of danger stayed with me, but over time, I came to realize that the dog's aggression and threat were nothing compared to the destructive power of human weapons in war. This realization shaped my understanding of vulnerability – even the fiercest protectors are defenseless against modern warfare. What fascinates me about dogs is their intrinsic connection to the home. They are not just guardians; they are the living embodiment of the house itself. When the owner is gone, the dog becomes the only living part of the home, forever waiting, genuinely believing their master will return. This unwavering faith, in the context of war, transforms into a profound tragedy: the animal cannot abandon its post even in the face of mortal danger, unable to evacuate independently, remaining faithful to its duty as a guardian until the end. This work addresses aspects of military conflicts that often remain outside major news headlines. It tells the story of those who have no voice — pets whose lives become collateral damage in the maelstrom of events they cannot comprehend. I want to remind viewers that any war claims not only human lives.