Second Childhood project by Anastasia Georgievskaya was born along with his son, six years ago.

It is a research on how the compartments in the long-term memories are triggered while raising a child letting us re-experience fears and joys of our childhood. With a background in psychology, Anastasia wanted to dig further into the process of parenthood and understand what this means in different geographies. Starting with the birth of her son, the initial project concentrated more on re-collecting her personal memories. The second part of the project which is on display at the Sounds Like Home exhibition is more related to re-learning and collecting experiences in different geographies. She uses found objects and materials that echo the cultural environment of the countries she is influenced by. Since the second part of the project took place in Sri Lanka where her son was born, she used broken and left over fishing boat parts as a symbol of the ocean that surrounds the island, thus shaping the culture of the country. She aims to take the audience on a journey to this island and see it through the experience of motherhood and childhood. 

Second Childhood produces a singular effect, affecting the natural mechanisms of our memory. When a parent is emotionally involved in their child’s life, “a pigeonhole of long-term memory” opens up. When that happens, the person not only goes down the memory lane of his or her childhood, but also re-lives it. Playing and interacting with the child activates the "inner child", a part of one’s personality responsible for curiosity, creativity, learning, as well as a relaxed attitude to life. It is a peculiar psychological effect. Interaction between two generations is not a one-way transfer of experience from parents to children, but also a powerful tool for personal development of all the participants. Anastasia aims to demonstrate this emotional connection in the context of various cultures.

The first phase of Second Childhood project was exhibited in Perm in the entrance hall of the apartment block of the artist’s childhood. This exhibition-action lasted a few hours and became a symbolic point of reference. The installation “Second Childhood” presents art objects, videos, graphics and drawings, sound recordings, and some artifacts from her childhood.

The second series of Second Childhood project developed in Sri Lanka, where her son was born.

Anastasia defines the project as follows: ‘For me, this project is the way... I take it with me wherever I go. The story of Second Childhood develops on par with the geography of my travels. New art objects, that I add to the project in every new country, are pieces of the same puzzle. It has already taken place in Russia and Sri Lanka.’