Ruslan Polanin

Born in 1988 in Astrakhan, Russian Federation, Ruslan Polanin is a visual artist, researcher and sound artist. In his artistic practice, he works with themes of new mythology, occultism, and historical memory, exploring them through the aesthetics of horror and the philosophy of the uncanny. His projects combine visual art, sound, space, and sometimes happening, turning the works into portals to the “uncomfortable past” and collective traumas. Ruslan studied contemporary art at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Moscow and worked for over nine years in the scientific department of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, where he explored unofficial Soviet art. He has also worked as an independent researcher, writing about repression, difficult heritage, and the aesthetics of horror, and has given lectures on these themes. In 2022, he moved to Istanbul, where he continued his artistic and research practice, and in 2025, he moved to France, where he became a member of l’atelier des artistes en exil. He currently lives and works in Nantes. In addition to visual art, he also works with music and sound projects, expanding the boundaries of his artistic language.