Two exhibitions

The State Literary Museum, Moscow

Parallel program of the 3rd Moscow Biennale. 'Dead Souls' is a new project within a series of exhibitions under a conventional name Russian Anthology. This project is a research into a theme that has become classics of Russian literature. Today it is the novel Dead Souls by Nikolay Gogol. Maria Arendt presents, on her solo show 'All sewn up', meditative scene pictured, named by first lines of well-known chastushkas. Similarly to those little poems, they are fraught with surprise and ready to ridicule those who judges from the first impression. They look simple to the degree of minimalism, but that is because they do not tell the whole story.

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Dead Souls
Curator: Vera Pogodina

"Dead Souls" is a new project within a series of exhibitions under a conventional name "Russian Anthology". Together with the previous exhibitions ("Fathers and Children", "War and Peace", "Wit Works Woe") this project is a research into a theme that has become classics of Russian literature.

Today it is the novel "Dead Souls" by Nikolay Gogol. The name of the novel is conceptual in itself. Every reader of the book can detect numerous connotations in the very title "Dead Souls".
It is no coincidence that more than thirty of our well-known, talented and respected artists related to the Moscow School of Conceptualism are taking part in this project.

Each of these artists' projects deserves a special research. They all are of particular interest.
Some of these projects correlate with the others, some do not. But what is interesting - together they form most positive and ironic picture of Our Time!

Artists:
Konstantin Zvezdochetov, Vladimir Dubossarsky, Gor Chakhal, Sergey Volkov, Maria Konstantinova, Nikolay Kozlov, Elena Elagina, Igor Makarevich, Vera Khlebnikova, Boris Matrosov Boris, Arkady Nassonov, Pavel Pepperstein, Nikolay Panitkov, Victor Skersis, Vitas Stasyunas, Andey Fillipov, Maria Chuikova, Sergey Shutov, Andrey Monastyrsky, Irina Nakhova, Konstantin Batynkov, Vadim Zakharov, Irina Korina, Alexey Shulgin, Nikita Alexeev, Boris Stuchebrukov, Sergey Mironenko, Vyacheslav I. Koleychuk, Yury Leiderman, Olga Chernyshova, Yury Albert, Alexander Brodsky, Dmitry Gutov, Vladislav Efimov, 4th Height Group, Alexander Kosolapov, Maxim Ksuta, Nikola Ovchinnikov, Muriel Rousseau, Alexander Petrelli, Sergey Shekhovtsov, Stas Shuripa, Alexei Shulgin

.............................

Maria Arendt - All sewn up
Curated by Lyubov Shaks

Chastushkas could have been called Russian haiku were they not so shamelessly obscene.

Silent raven in a quiver
On a birch upon a river

An innocent, somewhat meditative scene pictured the first two lines does little to prepare you for the grotesque finale. A good lesson of humble contemplation: never say you know what is happening in the next moment. The embroideries by Maria Arendt are named by first lines of well-known chastushkas. Similarly to those little poems, they are fraught with surprise and ready to ridicule those who judges from the first impression. They look simple to the degree of minimalism, but that is because they do not tell the whole story. Those who know, know. Some may smile and exchange glances, some pull a face of indignation. It is, however, wise not to overreact. It is as simple as that:

Fish in thick tomato sauce
Floats in happy comatose.
Only me, pathetic whimp
Have no f***g place to swim

Immagine: Maria Arendt

The State Literary Museum
28, Petrovka str., Moscow

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The State Literary Museum

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Two exhibitions
dal 23/9/2009 al 24/10/2009