ABOUT
Mary Ponomareva is a visual artist, multidisciplinary designer and researcher based in Amsterdam.
In her works, she uses graphic design, virtual reality, CGI and 3D modeling as a tool to envision and question possible futures. She speculates and envisions grotesque realities in order to reflect on future societal and ethical implications of currently emerging technologies.
She critically investigates the role of graphic design in what she calls ‘Dark Aesthetics’. Implying the influence of corporate imagery in the construction of dubious ideologies and their normalization by way of their aesthetics.
In VR installations, texts and videos she ‘builds’ dystopian narratives where science fiction, corporate imagery and simulations are combined to question the incompatible characteristics of the current capitalist system.
She completed her MA at the Sandberg Institute Design Department, obtained BA in Graphic Design at The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and studied Visual and Applied Art at the Moscow University of Design and Technology. Her work was showcased at 4th Istanbul Design Biennial, TECART ’18, Corridor Project Space, Gogbot’18, IMPAKT festival 2018, Rotterdamse Schouwburg’s Club Imagine.
UNVRS
Next to her artistic practice, she runs a design studio UNVRS as a space for exploration, collaboration and experimentation. Based in Amsterdam UNVRS merges graphic design, digital art, motion image, and 3d.
Conceptually driven, UNVRS aims to create new worlds, systems and designs that empower, engage and serve as a portal to different realities. UNVRS strives for both artistic expression and narrative clarity.
UNVRS collaborated with Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, UVA, Next Nature, bitbird, W139 and Kunstverening Diepenheim. Her projects were exhibited at GDFS ’16, Chamount Biennale de Design Graphique and published by IDPURE and NOVUM.
EXHIBITIONS
2021 – Alienated
Group, 38CC, Delft (NL)
2021 – Zero Emissions by 2099
Curatorial, MAMA Showroom, Rotterdam (NL)
2020 – Factory of Electric Dreams
Solo, Tetem, Enschede (NL)
2020 – Gentle Strategising
Curatorial Poule, MAMA Showroom, Rotterdam (NL)
2020 – IMPAKT: A Mainfold of Maybes
Screening (NL)
2019 – Luma Days #3, A School of Schools
Group, Luma, Arles (FR)
2019 – Z33, A School of Schools
Group, C-mine, Genk (BE)
2019 – TEC ART festival
Installation, Worm Ubik, Rotterdam (NL)
2018 – One Euro Cinema by Telemagic, Museum Night
Screening, Stedelijk, Amsterdam (NL)
2018 – IMPAKT festival: Algorithmic Superstructures
Screening and Q&A, Het Huis, Utrecht (NL)
2018 – Istanbul Design Beinale, School of Schools
Group, Istanbul (TR)
2018 – GOGBOT festival: Hyperbrain
Installation, Enschede (NL)
2018 – Robot Love, icw Suzanne Posthumus
Video Project, Campina Milk Factory, Eindhoven (NL)
2017 – Art Rotterdam, Prospects & Concepts, iObject
icw Suzanne Posthumus, Rotterdam (NL)
2017 – The Feminine Land of Welcome, de Gids,
icw Ksenija Serbina, Kate Gaidamaka, Sexyland, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – Technology Meets Implementation
Screening program, W139, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – Club Imagine, Hoogmoed
screening & VR installation, Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Rotterdam (NL)
2017 – The Future of Solidarity
Group, Corridor Project Space, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – One Euro Cinema by Telemagic
Screening, De School, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – Wait for Cue, Sandberg Graduation Show
Group, Shelter, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – Telemagic: Midnight Teleshopping
Group, Worm, Rotterdam (NL)
2017 – Make being radical again curated by Tereza Ruller
Screening, The One Minutes (Arti et Amicitiae; NL, DE, CN)
2016 – Depto, The commons issue, Club Imagine
Group performance, Rotterdamse Schouwburg (NL)
2016 – Graphic Design Scotland, We see what we are
Expo, shortlist, Lighthouse Glasgow (UK)
2016 – The One Minutes, Expanding our luxury line
Screening, Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts in China (CN)
2016 – The One Minutes, Expanding our luxury line
Screening, Reykjavik International Film Festival (IS)
2016 – Fragments: Typography Deconstructed, Semantic Space
Exhibition, Pocko Gallery, London (UK)
2016 – The One Minutes, Expanding our luxury line
Screening, The Sandberg Series (NL, DE, CN)
2016 – Published and Destroyed, Hackers and Designers
Exhibition, De Punt, Amsterdam (NL)
2016 – Sandberg Open Day: Design
Exhibition, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam (NL)
2016 – The Lodestone, The End of Privacy Festival
Exhibition, Frascati Theater, Amsterdam (NL)
2015 – De Bovenkamers, Haagse Kunstkring,
Exhibition, The Hague (NL)
2014 – Image Elixir, Vers Bloed, Haagse Kunstkring
Exhibition, The Hague (NL)
2013 – New steps, Haagse Kunstkring
Exhibition, The Hague (NL)
2013 – Semantic space, Graduation Show
Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, (NL)
2012 – 23rd Festival Graphique, Students all to Chaumont
Exhibition, Chaumont (FR)
2012 – KABK Open Day – Graphic Design exhibition
Royal Academy of Art, the Hague (NL)
2011 – Psychogeography: a beginner’s guide, AB4
Exhibition, The Hague (NL)
2011 – We are Play Lab, TodaysArt
Interactive installation, The Hague (NL)
2011 – Marcel van Eeden Workshop, Royal Gallery KABK
Exhibition, The Hague (NL)
2011 – Digging & Diving, Royal Gallery KABK
Exhibition, The Hague (NL)
2009 – Mystery, Wind of wanderings
Exhibition, Moscow (RU)
2009 – I believe, I love, I hope, I remember, I wait, Wind of wanderings
Exhibition, Moscow (RU)
2009 – Museum Night, Exhibition, Wind of wanderings
Exhibition, Moscow (RU)
2008 – Retrospective of 21 century, Wind of wanderings
Exhibition, Moscow (RU)
EDUCATION
Design, Think tank for visual strategies, MA
Sandberg Instituut
Netherlands, Amsterdam
2015 – 2017
Graphic Design, BA
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK)
Netherlands, the Hague
2010 – 2013
Visual and Applied Art
University of Design & Technology (MSUDT)
Russia, Moscow
2007 – 2010
TALKS & WORKSHOPS
2019 – Alumni Symposium, Presentation
Sandberg Instituut, Amsterdam (NL)
2018 – GOGBOT cafe, Presentation
DesignLab University of Twente, Enschede (NL)
2018 – Non- Linear Tuesday, Presentation
KABK, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (NL)
2017 – The HMM @Roze Tanker, Presentation
Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – Unnecessary, Unwanted and Uncalled-for, Presentation
ASCA, UvA, Amsterdam (NL)
2017 – Luxury and Paranoia; Drones and Satellites, Workshop
with Anastasia Kubrak, Amsterdam (NL)
2013 – Semiotics & Visual safety, Workshop
with Marleen van der Zanden, Leiden University, The Hague (NL)
AWARDS
2016 – Red Dot Design Award, We Share Solar (designed at studio Today)
Winner Communication Design, Berlin (DE)
2012 – 23rd Festival Graphique, International Student Poster Competition
Nomination, Chaumont (FR)
2011 – Crossing Border, Book design & Illustration contest,
Winner, The Hague (NL)
2009 – Contemporary Art & Education, Sholokhov University
Nomination, Moscow (RU)
PUBLICATIONS
2021 – People of Print interview
peopleofprint.com
2018 – Staying Alive. A “wunderkammer” of disaster solutions
We-Make-Money-Not-Art.com
2017 – Novum magazine, World of graphic design
April Showroom – Novum (DE)
2017 – Fantastic Designs in the Store,
KABK Stoor, Pop-Up Stoor – Artpower (CN)
2016 – International Poster Catalogue 16,
Image elixir – Graphic Design Festival Scotland (UK)
2016 – International Yearbook Communication Design,
ZonneDelen – Red Dot Design (DE)
2016 – Typography: Exploring the limits,
Where are we now? – Sandu (CN)
2016 – Visual Harmony,
KABK Stoor – Sendpoints (CN)
2016 – Speculating Systems,
There is no spoon – Sandberg (NL)
2015 – Chois Gallery Magazine #30
Where are we now? – Chois (CN)
2015 – Vormplatform
KABK Stoor
2014 – IDPURE Magazine #34
Semantic space – IDPURE (CH)
2013 – Blood Sweat Tears Diploma
Semantic space – KABK (NL)