The museum Hermitage in St. Petersburg is the largest museum in the world. In summer thousands of visitors come to see the collection every day.
For me not only the objects of art and the building were interesting, but also the people working there, in particular the ladies that were working as guards in the exhibition spaces.
A number of them have been working there for many years and can tell you everything about the paintings and sculptures and other objects, that are displayed in the spaces where they work.
In the summer of 2006 I have started to make a series of portraits of these ladies.
I came to the idea to choose with each portrait a painting from the enormous museum collection, which in one way or another interacts with the portrayed person.
I came back a second time in the summer of 2007 to complete my project.
I consider this series to be a tribute to these silent workers and by portraying them I want to bring them out of anonymity.
