PENNLAB Gallery presents Fyodor Telkov's solo exhibition "Tales" - the project of the winner in the nomination "Contemporary Photography" of the SCAN Contemporary Art Award. The exhibition addresses the Ural mythology and the legacy of Pavel Bazhov. The documentary photographer's view is aimed at revealing the mystical in the everyday.

The exhibition is curated by Daria Panayotti.
 
In contemporary Yekaterinburg photography, Fyodor Telkov holds a special place: for the second decade, he explores the images and subjects that make up the Ural identity. Addressing the ecology of the industrial landscape, the lives of closed communities, and small ethnic groups, he chooses a different tone for each project. "Tales" is one of his most poetic series. 

The exhibition is based on the Ural epic by Pavel Bazhov. In "The Malachite Casket," the industry and nature of the Urals are portrayed as two forces that shape human destiny. The protagonist of the tale is caught between the authority of the factory owner and the will of pagan spirits, forced to engage in their struggle for resources. Without fully understanding the rules of a world where the rational and the mystical alternate, a person is forced to adapt to them. Fyodor Telkov makes this worldview visible. The world depicted in his works is shaky, foggy, covered with coal dust, or drowning in darkness. The characters of the Ural epic, with their coal-like eyes, straw mustaches, and horns above their sheepskin coats, appear in the photographer's studio for a portrait. "Tales" bring the viewer back to the state of childlike perception, when the world still retains the ability to be unpredictable and animated.

The exhibition is supported by the Center for the Development of Contemporary Art SCAN. On November 13, 2025, the annual SCAN Contemporary Art Award ceremony was held, recognizing important works, artists, and projects from Siberia, the Urals, and the Far East. In the "Contemporary Photography" category, the prize was awarded to a personal project at the PENNLAB Gallery in Moscow. The award was won by Fyodor Telkov.

Fyodor Telkov is a photographer, artist and researcher of anthropological and cultural diversity of the Urals and Russia. Born in 1986 in Nizhny Tagil, since 2010 he is a member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia. In 2017-2019 he was the curator of the photographic museum "Metenkov House" in Yekaterinburg. In his works Tolkova addresses the life of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, the industrial heritage of the Urals and the relationship of man with the environment. His projects are at the intersection of documentary photography, anthropology, ethnography, and contemporary art. He is a recipient and participant of Russian and international awards and competitions, including the Scan 2025 Award, the Innovation Award 2020, the Direct Look Award 2021, Pictures of the Year Asia, and others. He has authored six photo books, and his work is in private and museum collections.