The group “Department of the general state of the radio station” was created by young artists Vadym Bondarenko, Igor Gusev, Andrii Kazandzhii and Ruslan Rubanskiy in the early nineties. The association lasted for a very short time, created one memorable work, and gave way to the next one with a simpler name – “General Condition”. Quite quickly, its members became known not only for their activities as part of the group, but also for their individual projects. In addition, Igor Gusev engaged in curatorial activities, organizing the underground gallery Norma and the Art-Raiders movement, and is now one of the most prominent Ukrainian artists.

The action “Working zone” was held in 1993. On one of the most crowdy streets of Odesa, Deribasivska, several participants, dressed in official black and white suits, with their faces covered with golden paint, stood almost motionless for an hour and asked passers-by to put a donate into the cans that were placed on the stands, as if for microphones

The elegant appearance of the participants of the action and golden masks contrasted sharply with the classic image of the needy. As the participants wrote in the concept of the project, the goal was to “aestheticize” the cultural background of the city, to erase the social unattractiveness of the city’s beggars. In those years, few people dared to ask for alms on the streets – too often the police had stopped it. The participants of the action immediately attracted attention; most of the passers-by were amazed by what they saw. The main question of the observers was “Wow, is it possible to do like that?”. They actively gave money.

This action was also a social experiment, exploring the prejudices that arise when appearances come into conflict with expectations. Human nature is prone to stereotypes, so the action demonstrated them in full: well-dressed people, despite their need, are rarely offered help. Solid costumes and golden masks are a shell that rejects the hope for true humanity.

The action questions our ability to empathize and forces us to think whether we really see a person behind the facade of status and appearance. The play of emotions, pity and cold calculation, which unfolds on the street, reveals complex layers of social interaction and provokes reflection on what real need and real help are.