Basketball.
To most it is simply a game in which two teams compete to score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised hoop. But to an obsessed few, basketball is more than just a sport or an object of play. It is an icon of human inspiration.
Kirill Semenovich preaches such iconography in The Book of Hope, an AI-assisted series that explores the dynamic interplay not just between gravity and man (see James, LeBron) but also of structure and abstraction.
The Book of Hope’s visual language reflects Semenovich’s belief in the power of symbols to disrupt the static nature of space. His bold use of color, from neon pinks and oranges to deep blues and greens, makes each piece feel like a moment caught between a collage-like dream and reality. This interplay of space and time is disorienting, yet deliberate. The artist invites us to consider how we occupy space, how we move through it, and how we attempt to conquer it.
The courts themselves are not bound by the strict lines and regulations we expect; they float, bend and stretch across impossible landscapes, suggesting that the pursuit of any goal—whether on the court or in life—requires breaking free from the rigid constraints imposed upon us.
We are not just players in the game, but seekers in an endless quest for transcendence. What is the hoop, after all, if not a target for our tallest ambitions?
The Book of Hope is ultimately a commentary on such human ambition, showing how we shape our surroundings in an attempt to reach beyond what we think possible, while still tethered to a world that supports yet also confines. This tension between control and chaos is what keeps us lingering, searching for meaning in every dribble, pass, and shot.
