On TV She Sees Neither Enemy. Nor Friend. Just Spot.

Anton Reznikov’s On TV She Sees Neither Enemy, Nor Friend. Just Spot is an evocative and unsettling commentary on the depersonalization of war through the lens of modern media. Created in the wake of Reznikov’s own displacement from Ukraine following the full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022, the piece explores themes of disconnection, identity, and the numbness created by constant media consumption.

At first glance, the work draws the viewer in with its raw, biomorphic forms, resembling both a human face and abstract organic structures. The black voids that fragment the face evoke a sense of emptiness or distortion, while the reddish, vein-like lines speak to the fragility of the human body under stress and violence. The face, both familiar and distorted, reflects the mental fragmentation that often comes with displacement and trauma. The inclusion of bold red and orange veins against the harsh black ink echoes the lifeblood of humanity, even as it is obscured by the chaos of war.

The title, On TV She Sees Neither Enemy, Nor Friend. Just Spot, suggests a critique of the dehumanizing effects of televised war coverage, where the horrors of conflict become mere pixels or spots on a screen—faceless and devoid of personal connection. The work captures the profound sense of isolation and depersonalization experienced by millions of displaced people, with Reznikov using art to process his own journey as a refugee.