Planet Lovigin. Colorful, dreamlike photographies of the Russian artist who travels the planet, casting his ironic gaze on things and people.The pictures frequently sport the artist's handwritten commentaries, or he furnishes them with ornaments.
When aging bathing beauties doggedly go at each other with inflatable pool toys; when a dancing Cherkess in a red folk dress whirls through a field of sunflowers; when a butcher and his freshly slaughtered pig indulge in a peaceful moment of melancholy, we know we have arrived in the magical world of Russian photographer Petr Lovigin – colorful, dreamlike and with the strong pull of wanderlust. In "Planet Lovigin" the artist takes the reader along in a fairy-tale road trip through his Russian homeland and the Caucasus region. The pictures frequently sport the artist’s handwritten commentaries, or he furnishes them with ornaments. Lovigin travels the planet, casting his ironic gaze on things and people, overdrawing a cliché here and there, and yet always displaying evident affection for his subjects. The artist likes to call his work the »Soul Kitchen« of photography.
Lovigin (b. 1981) studied architecture before taking up photography. His internet blog lovigin.livejournal.com has thousands of young Russian fol- lowers. Since 2006 his photograph series have been shown in numerous exhibitions, most recently at the Museum of Photography Thessaloniki, the Photobiennale in Moscow, the Istanbul Modern Art Museum and at Passage de Retz in Paris. He is represented by Galerie °Clair in Munich.
Catalogue curated by Anna-Patricia Kahn, English/French available soon, 35 euro
Opening Tuesday, May 8 2012, 7 pm
Clair Galerie
Franz-Joseph-Str. 10, Munich
Wed - Sat 3 - 7 pm
Free admission