Novikov's work makes us question the fundamental things of human life: beauty, goodness, the nobility of nature. His works will especially perplex those who believe that the mission of art is to bring beauty and goodness. Although the compositions of this artist do not astonish with the abundance of means of expression, the colours, the complex plots, the size, this does not prevent them from creating a storm of thoughts in the viewer's mind, from forcing him or her to look and see. Beauty arouses admiration and the ugly arouses curiosity, often subconsciously identifying it with evil. So let us think. An artist lays bare his soul even when he draws a single line or when he puts only a dot on a page. The viewer is left wondering: who will save the world? Beauty or the recognition of ugliness? Is it easier to deny or to admit? The author's own indecision is also evident: saints with haloes or naked bodies shamelessly disfigured? The monochromy in the author's works suggests that there will be no compromise. This choice allows us to speak in essence. The artist undresses in front of the viewer, just like the naked characters in his drawings. There is nothing hidden. Novikov openly, bluntly, cynically deconstructs and defragments HUMAN, thus dehumanising him. Like a beetle, the author boldly "pins" man to a piece of paper and studies him with the care of a biologist. He seems to want to completely and utterly dismantle, to iron out both the human body and soul. The antagonism in the artist's work is pronounced: black-white, male-female, holy-sinful, good-bad. The focus is entirely on the character, almost every composition poses the eternal question: is the world beautiful or ugly? Is man good or bad? Perhaps that is why the artist depicts people so far from perfection, because he sympathises with them. Or maybe, on the contrary, he wants to bring to the surface and vent his disgust at the human strain? The Chaim Frenkel Villa-Museum (Vilniaus g. 74, Šiauliai) will be open until 11 August.