Presented at L’AiR Arts Atelier 11 in Montparnasse, Moon Pool: Paris Period was the second chapter of Nikolay Koshelev’s ongoing project. Set in a historic atelier once occupied by Soutine and Modigliani, the exhibition revolved around the fictional figure of Alexander Zilverhof — a Russian-German symbolist painter imagined by Koshelev as his alter ego. Through this invented character, Koshelev delved into themes of identity, memory, and artistic lineage, echoing the journeys of early 20th-century émigré artists.

The exhibition marked Koshelev’s return to figuration and symbolism, moving away from his graffiti and abstract roots. Populated by dreamlike tricksters and ghostly characters, his works drew on Belle Époque aesthetics and the visual language of Symbolism, while reflecting contemporary concerns. By crafting a fictional biography and merging it with his own, Koshelev questioned the boundaries between past and present, fiction and self.