Conceptual nominee

In his series Dictators, Yaro Zarny presents a powerful visual statement on the fragility of power
and the isolation of its bearers. The photographs feature blurry images of uniformed men in
military poses, depicted alone in vast, desolate landscapes—whether in the shadowy depths of a
forest, on an abandoned field, or in the cold expanse of a snow-covered mountain range. This
deliberate solitude underscores the loneliness of the "dictator," showing him as an isolated figure
without any followers or entourage.
Dictators is not merely a visual portrayal of authoritarian presence, but a profound reflection on
power and its fragile foundations. The blurry representations and the solitary landscapes tell the
story of a ruler whose influence fades in a world without clear contours and without the backing of
a collective. In this way, the artist invites the viewer to critically engage with the nature and demise of authority.

Yaro Zarny is a master of blur. In a world
dominated by ever sharper and more
detailed images, he has chosen a radically
different approach, inviting the viewer to
detach from the perfection of technique and
enter a new dimension of perception.

His works often do not arise from the
perfect capture of a moment, but from a
conscious distortion of reality, plunging into
the space between the visible and the
invisible, the definable and the undefinable.
Blur is used as a deliberately employed
artistic tool that opens up space for free
associations and interpretations.

His images often resemble paintings,
oscillating between the realms of
photography and painting. This blur strips
the image of clear contours, allowing the
objects to melt into a fluid state. Forms
dissolve, details fade, and the viewer’s gaze
is reduced to the essential – to the feeling,
the mood, the atmosphere the artist seeks
to convey. In his work, the visible is not
merely captured by the camera but
transposed into a poetic space.