CulTuRe in Russia Contemporary Art in Russia To see and to be seen ost certainly the top destinations for the observer not to the beauty of a bicycle wheel, Koshlyakov became famous for his large- cultural tourism in Russia are Mos- a bottle rack or a porcelain urinal, but to the con- scale cartons with re-worked, but recognizable Mcow and St. Petersburg. The cultural ventional prejudices of spectators’ expectations images of classical monuments of sculpture and landscape of contemporary Moscow is impres- of art, and circumstances under which they look architecture. To create his paintings, or three- sive and rich with all kinds of events. Moscow at it. The difference between Duchamp’s and dimensional objects, he often uses adhesive tape is bursting with galleries representing the Arkhipov’s ready-made material objects is that on cardboard boxes found in a trash. Koshlykov’s best of Russian and foreign artists, as well as Duchamp touched and chose them as an artist. choice of these unglamorous materials is again the current cultural practice within Russia. Arkhipov only collects them and they remain reminiscent of Arte Povera. He clearly and delib- Besides museums and exhibition halls, there untouched by the artist. Duchamp pretended erately expands his poor art materials with the are more than 200 galleries in Moscow. St. Pe- that the objects were ready-made, while in fact classical tradition. tersburg follows suit when it comes to opening they were pre-made. Arkhipov takes common art galleries and performance spaces. Russian homemade objects in their original primitive Yevgeny Vakhtangov in his workshop Yevgeny Vakhtangov. Collage Yevgeny Vakhtangov. Beauty Institute, 1982 art is often displayed in foreign galleries and form and makes them speak through their mas- number 3, 2006 museums, but it is fascinating to look at it ters. All of Arkhipov’s artifacts are products of Evgeny Vakhtangov (born 1942) is an out- of a painting, which is its color and tone. His love great emotional intensity. Incidentally, Evgeny inside Russia itself. function, not design and are created by common standing artist, whose works are on display in for color, his intuitive and sensuous approach, Vakhtangov is the grandson of a famous Russian In recent years Russian art has undergone a people from manufactured things for domestic many galleries, including the Tretyakov Gallery. his directness and innocence brought him to the theatrical director who founded the well-known perpetual stylistic evolution towards globaliza- use only. This is the emphatic point in Arkhipov’s Classically educated, Vakhtangov works in vari- abstract pointillism technique. With this specific Vachtangov Theater and was behind several new tion, including installations, objects and video dialogue with Duchamp and it puts him much ous styles. He is intensely involved in the essence visual language he achieves amazing effects of theater movements. art. Contemporary Russian art is made with closer to the Italian movement of Atre Povera, an emphasis on its international and transna- which emerged in the end of the 1960s. tional character. Russian artists are using a wide variety of styles and techniques. In their art you can observe conceptions or misconcep- tions of the modern world alongside the artist’ understanding of how art can contribute to that world. Please be aware that this process can be very unpredictable. The sheer number of important names and events cannot be possibly covered in such a short review. These are just brief comments Alexey Morozov.Caryatid Supersonic, on some interesting contemporary artists and 2011 Marble artistic activity in the present day Russia. Young sculptors such as Sergey Shekhovt- Vladimir Arkhipov (born 1961 in Ryazan) sov (born 1969 in Salsk), Alexey Morozov turns handmade utilitarian objects, which he (born 1974) also go back to classical forms and collects in people’s homes during his numerous combine them with unusual innovations. They journeys, into ready-made artifacts. In addition rework the classical tradition in their very Zurab Tsereteli. “To the Struggle Against to that, he makes audio and video footage of the specific way. Shekhovtsov prefers postproduc- Zurab Tsereteli in his workshop World Terrorism” memorial on Hudson Bay Zurab Tsereteli. Saint Nina object’s creator. He has formed a photographic Valery Koshlyakov. Untitled, 2001. tion materials, as well as trash and foam, while collection of “functional folk art” with photos Adhesive tape on cardboard Morosov works with solid classical materials and audio links to his artifacts. Of course, it is such as bronze and stone. They both respect This review would be incomplete without galleries and join various cultural activities. Zurab Tsereteli. Peter the reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp’s ready-made Valery Koshlyakov (born 1962 in Salsk) the rhetoric of Classicism, and mock it, while Zurab Tsereteli, a controversial and widely As Garage in Moscow, “art island” New Hol- Great Statue, erected at the objects and his idea that the act of placing an was a member of the group “Art or Death”, enriching it with direct effects of hyperrealism criticized sculptor, who is also the president of land is funded by art-loving, Chelsea football confluence of the Moskva object into an art gallery turns it into an art which was formed in the late 1980s in Rostov- at the same time. the Russian Academy of Arts. The first Moscow club owner, billionaire and philanthropist River and the Obvodnoy object. In such acts Duchamp on-Don. The group’s first ex- Post-soviet contem- Museum of Modern Art (MMoMA) was founded Roman Abramovich. Channel in 1997. The wanted to draw attention of hibition took place in 1988 in porary art demonstrates by Tsereteli in 1999. This abbreviation is imme- The experience of visiting those spaces is 98-meter-high monument Taganrog (the birthplace of frivolous and capricious diately associated with the MoMA in New York. not just about looking at the creative works was ordered by the Anton Chekhov, one of the features that in a way Is it a coincidence or was it done accidentally inside and outside. It also means discovering Moscow Govermnent greatest Russian writers, fa- reflect the relationship on purpose? Tsereteli’s MMoMA, Art Acad- architectural designs, watching multimedia mous for such works as The between politics and emy, his museum-studio and sculpture park shows and the hip crowd, dining in top res- Three Sisters, 1901 and The aesthetics, which is akin unequivocally mirror Zeitgeist in the country. taurants or hanging out in cozy cafés, to see Cherry Orchard, 1904). The to children teasing their I will conclude this review by mentioning a and to be seen. The creative quarters that second exhibition was held parents. However, there few spacious art centers or, as they call them- have opened in recent years in Moscow are in a public toilet. Shortly af- is an obvious return to selves, creative quarters, including Winzavod, especially marked by the trend, which unites ter this “toilet exhibition” the classical heritage in Artplay, Flacon, Krasnij Oktyabr situated in luxury and utility. the artist moved to Moscow. contemporary Russian former Soviet factories and the Garage Center Smaller scale art galleries are also great This shows that the role of art, most often with an for Contemporary Culture located in a former places to experience contemporary Russian regional art is growing at a ironic undertone. bus garage. The spaces are enormous and art and to learn a lot about what’s happening n Marcel Duchamp. Fountain, 1917 slightly lower tempo than suitable for large sculptures, paintings and in Russia today. Vladimir Arkhipov. Close-stool in Moscow or St. Petersburg, Sergey Shekhovtsov. installations. If you are in St. Petersburg than made from tabouret by Alexei but it does exist and is flour- Column, 2007 the “art island” New Holland is comparable By Drs.Alisa Schieman-Simtchera, Tikhonov, 1989, Ryazan region ishing. Styrofoam in size and definitely the place to be to visit art historian 16 Russian Travel Magazine RTM RTM Russian Travel Magazine 17 .