Konstantin Zhukov: The Day Before You Came

The exhibition takes as its starting point the descriptions of everyday life and the atmosphere captured in the diaries of Latvian gay man Kaspars Aleksandrs Irbe (1906–1996). The diaries, a unique document of queer history in the Baltic and Eastern European regions, record Irbe’s life throughout the tumultuous 20th century – from Latvia’s democratic period through the Nazi and Soviet occupations to the country’s restored independence.

Zhukov draws on Irbe’s diaries and other scarce accounts of queer lives from the Soviet era, and, through photography, translates these narratives into his own contemporary context. In the images, the lives of several men are interwoven in a reflection on queer everyday life. These are gentle images that contemplate the endless repetition of daily life: food, work, rest and sex. In turn, the exhibition’s title, “The Day Before You Came”, is taken from an ABBA song in which the lyrics describe the day’s routines and repetitions prior to a supposed meeting with a lover.

The images in the exhibition are minimalist and taken in sequences, men’s faces are either masked or turned away. This detached approach stems from the medical and forensic photography found among Zhukov’s visual references. The visual language, together with the historical context, brings to mind how homosexuality has been defined and documented throughout history as an illness or a crime. The images themselves are irreversibly disappearing due to the process of thermal printing, speaking both to the state of Latvia’s queer memory and questioning photography’s role as a witness.

Alongside Zhukov’s photographs are newspaper scraps featuring same-sex dating ads from Latvian newspapers of the 1990s. Dating from the period following the re-establishment of the country’s independence and the subsequent decriminalisation of sexual intercourse between men, these personal ads are a testimony to a time when Latvia was undergoing dramatic change, marked by greater political and personal freedoms. Through the use of his original photography and archival facsimiles, Zhukov links the present day with historical accounts and reflects on a time and place that left little trace of queer histories.

The exhibition is supported by Sweden-Latvia Cooperation Fund.

About the artist

Konstantin Zhukov (Konstantīns Žukovs, 1990) is an artist living and working between Riga (Latvia) and London (UK). His practice is informed by his research into the lives, experiences and spaces that historically fell through the heteronormative system of archiving and history-making.

Zhukov has presented his research on Latvian queer histories at Auto Italia in London (2024), Lafayette Anticipations in Paris (2022) and numerous panels in Latvia, thus contributing to the country’s emergent discourse on queer history, art and activism. In 2024 he was commissioned by the NGO Mozaīka and Elton John Aids Foundation to shoot the country’s inaugural PrEP awareness campaign.

Zhukov was the subject of solo shows at NEVEN Gallery in London (2024) and ISSP Gallery in Riga (2022). Most recently, he has been included in group shows at Circulation(s) Festival, Paris (2026), Mala Galerija Bank of Slovenia, Ljubljana (2025), Banguoja audiofestival at Radvila Palace Museum of Art, Vilnius (2025), Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga Photography Biennial, Riga (2024), MO Museum, Vilnius (2024) and Blanc Art Centre, Beijing (2023). Zhukov’s work has been published online and in print, including Aperture, Art Monthly, The Guardian, i-D and now-closed ‘Открытые’, a progressive LGBTQ+ publication based in Moscow.  

www.konstantinzhukov.com