Total Today
The author known as Vegas Simbelis (also referred to as Das Vegas) provides a commentary on the project, stating: "One peace, one prize. One piece, one price."
Total Today is predicated on data regarding the number of Russian military casualties per day in Ukraine. While the data is objective, it is also subjective, based on the perspective of one country. The large number represents the people who have been destroyed in the bloody conflict, and this is happening every day. This subjectivises the data and reduces the events to pure fact. If we decipher this number, we find suffering, blood and death.
In the artistic works, the artist conveys the losses sustained by Russia by utilising materials of a particular quality, such as toilet paper, napkins and fragments of paper that were found during the period in question. These materials serve as a medium through which the artist expresses the profound impact of the conflict and manifests his personal position.
The act of giving is imbued with meaning, with each loss suffered by the Russian army being offset by an equivalent contribution to the support process. The artwork depicts the value of the support provided, with all income allocated to support Ukraine. Individuals are encouraged to contribute to this cause by considering the acquisition of an artwork, such as 1560, which symbolises the losses incurred on the 17th of March according to the 2025-03-18 report. This purchase is to be accompanied by a donation of 1560 euros, which will be allocated to support Ukraine.
The project was initiated on 2022-02-24 and is currently ongoing as a daily endeavour by the artist. Individuals are encouraged to participate in this initiative and lend their support.
-
Total Today 2.0 denotes the data accumulated from the beginning of the period under consideration, i.e. 2022-02-24. This total encompasses the aggregate of all Russian military fatalities incurred during the Ukrainian conflict. The underlying logic of calculation employed in both versions (1.0 & 2.0) is straightforward: the value of one Russian soldier is equivalent to one euro.
