My brother's cats

The video was filmed in the courtyard of the artist’s brother’s home during the war. It juxtaposes two visual registers: fragments of sky pierced by rocket fire and an apparently ordinary domestic scene where cats wander through a familiar yard. This everyday space carries the physical trace of violence — the scar left by a bomb that struck the courtyard. The animals, adorned with improvised festive decorations, introduce a naïve and almost absurd note that coexists with the brutality of war. Bratkov places innocence alongside destruction, revealing how violence infiltrates daily life without completely erasing it.

The work was presented as part of Sergey Bratkov’s solo exhibition My Brother’s Cats at Kunstmuseum Magdeburg (9 June – 6 October 2024)

Video, 1 min 20 s

Installation view, solo show Kunst Magdebourg, 2024