russian museum goes all out to promote modern artwork
by Galina Stolyarova
To live up to its status of Russia's cultural capital, St. Petersburg is currently promoting art projects from all over the country by unveiling new contemporary art. And if you somehow missed three exhibitions of modern art put together by the Marat Gelman Gallery in Mos cow and now hosted by the Marble Palace of the State Russian Museum, now's your chance. After all, the Russian Museum is perhaps the only state-run art collection in the country seriously interested in revealing all different varieties of contemporary Russian art. The three exhibitions are part of a larger project by Gelman entitled "Art Against Geography," celebrating the gallery's 10th anniversary, and are expected to tour all over Russia. The Russian Museum, where the tour actually kicks off, will be enjoying three more projects after it parts with the first three, introducing local audiences to feminist art and some peculiar social projects, such as new designs for money. The Marble Palace's noble interiors - home to the "Ludwig Museum in the Russian Museum," a project offering works of non-conformist art of the Soviet period in an international context - are thus very fitting for Gelman's collection. "With this exhibition, the Russian Museum shows its respect for the Marat Gelman Gallery," said Yevgenia Petrova, deputy director of the Russian Museum. "We can't ignore the impressive results they have achieved in assembling a versatile collection of modern Russian art." The project helps you to discover, in particular, artists representing the so-called "South-Russian Wave," a trend brought to public attention thanks to the efforts of Gelman himself. Stunning you with their size, the giant paintings of "South Russians" touch on eternal subjects, making a mesmerizing sight. A number of works - quite in line with postmodernist tradition - offer a new look at religious and Biblical themes. For instance, Oleg Golosy's 1988 take on "The Last Supper." The modern icons are full of torment and pain, rather than the peace and serene harmony that traditional religious art radiates. Yury Solomko isn't happy with a mere canvas to host his art. The artist paints over geographical maps - the tile of Gelman's project's is thus embodied Another exhibition called "Poor Art" (Bednoye Iskusstvo) shows art emerging from, or rather comprised of, garbage. The more civilized the society becomes, the more waste it produces, and the tremendous amount of garbage in the modern world doesn't pass unnoticed by designers. In the future, the Russian Museum looks set to continue being a host for the country's private arts galleries, and new projects are promised to follow shortly. For further information, call the Marble Palace at: 312-90-54
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