Life.
Philosophy of the Work
Every life begins with a single point of contact.
A mark is made. It is sharp, undeniable, impossible to ignore.
Then time takes over.
The imprint grows weaker, not because it never existed, but because every step away from the beginning leaves memory a little fainter. What once shaped the world gradually becomes only a trace.
At the end, only a small stain remains beside a simple inscription: Life.
It resembles both the final footprint and a gravestone.
The work asks a quiet question: When everything we built has faded, what part of us will still be visible?
The answer may not be found in how deeply we struck the world, but in the trace we left in the lives of others.
Title: Life
Year: 2026
Series: Nail Series / Existential
Medium: Nail rust imprint on paper in frame
Dimensions: 10 × 15 cm; framed: 12.8 × 17.8 × 1 cm
Edition: Unique (2/30). Please note that this artwork was produced in a limited edition of 30.
Condition: Stable. Natural oxidation is integral to the work.
Certificate: This artwork is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity and permanently documented in the Viktor Karpenko Artwork Archive.
Archive Number: VK-2026-0010
Status: 🟢 Available