No Choice Cuts began as an exploration of randomness and creative
control. Do we actually choose when we create? Or do habit, semiotics,
composition rules, material constraints—and unseen forces—make
choices for us? What seems like authorship may, in truth, be the result
of a much more complex distribution of intention.
On one of the election days, amidst the rituals of public choice, we went
to a secondhand book market and handed over the act of selection to
strangers. We asked random passersby to name numbers. These
numbers determined the magazines we would each work with—
materials chosen by others, not by us.
From that point, the rules were strict: no materials beyond what the
magazines gave us, plus scissors, glue sticks, and black or white A4
paper. No digital tools. No editing. No printing. Each artist worked only
with the pages of her assigned magazine.
Across multiple creative sprints, we cut, composed, and assembled
hundreds of collages—each one a moment in a longer dialogue.
About the Artists – VoDa Collab.
VoDa Collab is an artistic duo formed by Yuliia Poliska (Voitenko) and
Nataliia Danova (Magda Nova). Their name combines their surnames—
VOitenko and DAnova—highlighting the collaborative and equal nature
of their practice.
Yuliia Poliska, currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has a
background in illustration, graphic design, creative writing, and
storytelling. Her work is shaped by a strong sense of structure and
visual narrative, with a focus on the relationship between image,
language, and meaning.
Nataliia Danova, also known as Magda Nova, is a temporarily displaced
Ukrainian artist living in Edinburgh, Scotland. She has a background in
music performance as well as experience in graphics, multimedia, and
mixed media. Her work explores composition, material, and process,
often combining different artistic methods in an intuitive and reflective
way.
Preview: Sunday the 27th of April from 13:30 – 3:30
Monday – Friday: 10am – 8pm
Saturday – Sunday: 12pm – 5pm
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Location details
St. Margaret’s House – Gallery 1St Margaret's House, 151 London Road
Edinburgh EH7 6AE