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Mark Olich, 1974 | Ballet dancers | Conceptual photography


Марк Олич is a Russian photographer born in Omsk. A graduate of theatre and art schools, Mark has been engaged with photography since 2002.
Mark has always drawn but suffered from a creative crisis after moving to St. Petersburg.
He became a set designer at the Mariinsky Theatre, where he began to capture ‘behind the scenes’, images of the dancers training and rehearsing in the theater.
The aim of his work is to show what is happening in the boundary that separates the inside, the backstage, from the outer, public performance.


The viewer of his photography can see the difference between ordinary person and onstage hero.
Mark follows only one key rule when shooting his subjects, do not interfere.
He ensures that the camera is masked, in order to not break the mood.
This allows him to record a completely natural and genuine photos of life in the Mariinsky Theatre.