A video meditation on one object and one movement. Born in 1975, Maxim Ilukhin is a Moscovite artist and an active member of the ABC group (Art Business Consulting), known for its performances and installations at galleries, art spaces and offices. Maxim graduated from the Moscow New Humanitarian University in 1996 and, a year later, from the Institute of Robots. His interests subsequently shifted to art and he completed several courses and workshops at different art schools. His active exhibiting life started in 1998 and by now he has had more than a dozen exhibitions and presentations at Russian galleries and art festivals as well as at foreign ones. Ilukhin's art works are very diverse: from body-art performance and short videos to big bulky installations. Every new work is an event bringing joy, excitement and wonder.
The video Cup was made when Maxim was attending a workshop at Valand Art School, Gothenburg, Sweden. The idea for the film arose from daily observation of Europeans consuming coffee in great quantities. He recalls: "It looked like a long, aimless but at the same time captivating ritual, which involved everyone and was oblivious to its own vanity".