Storia dell'uomo
Two men lock into a bizarre power play to reassert the hierarchy of appearances.
Lady Dior Moscow
Based on an original concept by John Cameron Mitchell, this stunning sand animation merges haute couture with the magic of ephemeral art. Through the skillful hands of Kseniya Simonova, the work unfolds a poetic and fluid romantic narrative that connects the cityscapes of Paris and Moscow, using the silhouette of the iconic Lady Dior handbag as the thread that binds the two worlds.
Beautiful Morocco
The Lady of the Sand presented her sand short film "Beautiful Morocco" in July 2013, created for the Foundation of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco.
Circus
Simonova began experimenting with sand animation in late 2008, initially as something quite experimental and almost accidental. Circus is her first work, a relatively short piece that was presented on Ukraine's Got Talent. This performance allowed her to move to the next stage, but it is not yet the work that made her world-famous.
Run for Lebanon
Simonova recreated dramatic and multifaceted history of Lebanon at the request of representatives of the government of the country. Her sand film was created to open Marathon in Beirut (Beirut Marathon) — one of the most significant events in the life of the Lebanese, uniting people in the country, when they get together to run through the streets of Beirut in the name of peace.
Pianowork 2
Pianowork 2 is an animated recording of me playing Jürg Frey’s ‘Klavierstück 2’ at Mimic Productions in Berlin on 22 June 2023. It was a very hot, early summer’s day. Mimic created a ‘digital double’ of me, scanning my head and hands. It was the first time I’d used a computer-generated figure with my own likeness. I played the piece at an upright piano, wearing a sensor-filled Lycra onesie with a head-mounted rig holding an iPhone a short distance from my face. I tried very hard to do what Frey’s score asks. I counted the beats in the vast rests, the 468 instances of the same fourth, the precisely instructed micro-shifts of tempo. I worried about and tried to depress the keys with the correct pianissimo dynamic to follow the previous decayed chord played 40 seconds prior. This agonising pace makes for a terrific mounting of anxiety.
September 11th
This sand film is devoted to the memory of the tragedy of 11th September which was a great shock for the famous sand artist from Ukraine Kseniya Simonova.
Planet of Childhood
On December 25, 2009, Simonova performed this sand story in Valletta, Malta, during the televised charity marathon L'Istrina, at the invitation of Maltese President George Abela. It is significant because it marks her transition from television contestant to international performance artist.
I Remember
A sequel to You Are Always Nearby, this poignant sand animation continues the story of a family separated by the Second World War. Through transforming images drawn in sand, memories of love, separation, and loss unfold as the characters are confronted with the lasting consequences of war. The piece was presented at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 10 May 2010 as part of the Victory Day Gala.
Where do I go from Here?
Where do I go from here is a performance arthouse-style film exploring the nostalgia of the concept of home in terms of home as a feeling rather than the architectural structure. Inspired by multiple factors resonating the concept of home, including diaspora, belonging and longing, the artist questions the idea of home through and through, along with the constant search for the idea of "home".
Legends of Russia
This film is dedicated to the Russian legends that found their reflection in the Russian tradition of the artist and author Kseniya Simonova. The piece is a drawn animation created with a new experimental technique invented by Simonova that she called “plastic animation”, which consists of bringing the plasticine (or sand) to a fluid/plastic state through physical conditions, and using it practically as if it were a liquid pictorial medium.
You Are Always Nearby
You Are Always Nearby is the defining work and the cornerstone of Simonova's entire career. The story follows a young couple during World War II: the man goes off to war, and the woman stays behind. The piece was performed at the 4th semi-final of Ukraine's Got Talent and it was this performance that made a huge impact on the internet and turned Simonova into an international celebrity.
My Name Is The Sound I Use To Introduce Myself
A group of young men waltz in pairs, balancing with a glass between their foreheads. In this captivating setting, director Albert Rask crafts a new code of conduct - an allegory reflecting the experience of growing up. A playful yet poignant exploration that reframes the burdens of responsibility, expectations and the rules of adulthood.
To Return Her Childhood
The Lady of the Sand is presenting her second sand film devoted to help a Russian child suffering with cancer. A month earlier Kseniya has created a sand film for another Russian child Vladik Demchenko. Before that Kseniya was devoted her stories only to little Ukrainians. This film is devoted to a 5-year old girl Veronika Polyakova from Russian city Penza.
Russian Fairy Tale
In November 2012, Kseniya Simonova presented this new epic story, one of her most aesthetic and beautiful sand ballads, inspired by her Russian roots.
Return to Yourself
On 13th December, which is known as the Google Day, Kseniya Simonova presented a brand new work of hers which was shown live during the on-line transmission in Kiev through Kseniya's YouTube channel and received much attention. The story, based on eternal transformations, was Kseniya's personal memory of her childhood dreams.
Life Always Wins
Kseniya Simonova devoted a sand story titled "Life Always Wins" to the March 2011 tragedy in Japan.
Eternal Tears
A haunting sand animation tribute to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. Through shifting images of innocence, suffering, and loss, Kseniya Simonova evokes the lives shattered by the nuclear catastrophe of 1986 and the lasting consequences of radiation, which continued to claim lives and affect children long after the explosion. A deeply moving meditation on grief, remembrance, and the human cost of tragedy, reminding us that some wounds never truly heal—and that we must never forget.
Until You Stop Breathing
Surrounded by reflections of color, an ephemeral being explores the ethereal, sweet, and dangerous nature of sexual affection for another. It yearns to desire, but also to be desired.
Camouflage
Upon enlarging a picture, a large amount of grain can be discerned. It's like another world or dimension, as if numerous people are moving in a crowd. This film is about a woman living in a big city.