The new season of Art Project ‘The Portrait of Russian Fine Word’ opened on July 30, 2015, in the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Museum, Moscow.
The Project started exactly one year ago, on the 30th of July, 2014 when the first display was presented; the exhibition provoked significant public and Moscow experts’ interest. The Autumn Season of 2014 showed opportunities for development and popularisation of the idea of arranging exhibitions dedicated to Russian Literature.
This year, announced by the Government as THE YEAR OF LITERATURE IN RUSSIA, the authors of Art Project ‘The Portrait of Russian Fine Word’ have offered to the public an exposition WAR AND PEACE dedicated to the genius of Russian Word – Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy; nevertheless the exposition is not only about the past but also about the present days full of contradictions and even outrageous conflicts.
To support the concept of the exhibition in the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Museum, to highlight interweaving of historical experience and reminiscences with actual events of modern times, we have carefully selected the works and participants of the Art Project: from unique works created by predecessor artists, representatives of the best traditions of Russian Arts – by sculptor Alexander Kibalnikov and painter Gennadiy Sevostjanov, to the works by the students of institutes and colleges of arts.
In the Mirror Hall of the Tsvetaeva Museum, the exposition is strict and austere – from black to blue. From ‘Uneasy Year of ¢41’ by People’s Artist of Russia Gennadiy Sevostjanov, and watercolours ‘Distemper in Russia, the XVIIth Century’ by Honoured Artist of Russia Valeriy Ryabovol, to ‘The Teacher of Russian Literature’ hand of artist Margarita Siourina, the portraits of Yury Bondarev, front-line soldiers and writers Lelekhov and Bushin by Honoured Artist of the RF Gennadiy Zhivotov. Large landscapes by Tatiana Gorelova look in harmony with portraits and battle-paintings – from sorrowful and reserved in colour reflections of Russian autumn in ‘Elegy’ to piercing and deep blue in victorious epical ‘Peaceful Skies over the Berezina’. Alexander Ryabichev’s works are in perfect tune with the landscape painter’s works: the wind rushes out of the landscapes and swells clothes of the sculpture characters – a loving couple is ready to part: he is going to the front, and her fate is to wait, wait and get old to come out with a samovar now that she is really old…
The key to the mystery of the basic idea of the Mirror Hall exposition are two brilliant portraits by Honoured Artist of the RF, President of the Creative Union of Artists of Russia Konstantin Khudiakov; the portraits are positioned on the right and on the left of the legendary historical mirror, which used to know and reflect many epochs, and Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva herself, her face, her feelings, thoughts and actions. In the same way, the development of Russian ideas of the last century is reflected in the mirror of Russian history: from work ‘Konstantin Stanislavsliy – the Beginning of the Century’ to work ‘Andrey Bitov – the End of the Century’. If we read the idea from left to right we shall see all pain and doubts, all scrapes and disorders of the XX century in Russia. But if we interpret the idea backwards – from right to left as it was accepted in many ancient languages and among many ancient peoples, as it is natural with left-handers, we’ll discover the idea of revival. The concept is emphasised by two sculptures positioned with deliberate symmetry in two corners next to the portraits by Konstantin Vasilievich Khudiakov: on the left there is ‘Unsubdued’, the sculpture created by People’s Artist of the USSR Alexander Kibalnikov in 1946; on the right, there is sculpture ‘Suffering’ by a student of Moscow 1905 Memorial Arts School Alexey Loptev.The key to the mystery of the basic idea of the Mirror Hall exposition are two brilliant portraits by Honoured Artist of the RF, President of the Creative Union of Artists of Russia Konstantin Khudiakov; the portraits are positioned on the right and on the left of the legendary historical mirror, which used to know and reflect many epochs, and Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva herself, her face, her feelings, thoughts and actions. In the same way, the development of Russian ideas of the last century is reflected in the mirror of Russian history: from work ‘Konstantin Stanislavsliy – the Beginning of the Century’ to work ‘Andrey Bitov – the End of the Century’. If we read the idea from left to right we shall see all pain and doubts, all scrapes and disorders of the XX century in Russia. But if we interpret the idea backwards – from right to left as it was accepted in many ancient languages and among many ancient peoples, as it is natural with left-handers, we’ll discover the idea of revival. The concept is emphasised by two sculptures positioned with deliberate symmetry in two corners next to the portraits by Konstantin Vasilievich Khudiakov: on the left there is ‘Unsubdued’, the sculpture created by People’s Artist of the USSR Alexander Kibalnikov in 1946; on the right, there is sculpture ‘Suffering’ by a student of Moscow 1905 Memorial Arts School Alexey Loptev.
It depends on us in what direction we shall read it. Freedom of choice is a great gift given to us by God. And we have the right to choose the fidelity of traditions, we can create unique icons and miniatures coloured with tempera and cut in wood, assemble icon-painters and masters of applied arts keeping on traditional manual crafts into ‘Religious Section’ of the Union of Artist (have you seen that before?) – the initiative started by Honoured Artist of the RF Nikolay Chibisov. No one can impede our fantasy, our search of unknown shapes, combining marble with barbed wire, bringing iconic plot onto large canvas, arranging texts from chronicles along frames, drawing nimbi above children killed in shooting incidents started by new good-for-nothing adults…
It depends on us, what we shall choose.
This is the main theme (if we can make the right choice) of the exposition in the Concert Hall of the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Museum to which a spectator comes through the Minor Hall of the Tsvetaeva Memorial House where our participants grieve over withered roses thinking of the year 1914 in Russian history dedicating their works to the genius of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or creating unexpected allegory of war.
How often do we make mistakes? Why do we like to fight?
Why do we strive to lessen the value of values? Why do we forget traditions?
Why do we destroy the most talented, honest and the cleverest people?
Why do we always compare incomparable and while declaring one thing for sure drag the others through the mud? Where shall the path bring us to?
To the cemetery??? To the Heaven???
Well, if there is no death what are we afraid of? Perhaps, of a reproachful gaze of an Angel?
Or of our feathers scattering in the air over the vast land?
Each shall give his or her own answer.
Some cherish dreams of auld lang syne that can hardly be brought back, of the glorious Golden or let it be Silver Age; some miss comfortable life and go on with quiet plundering, some are preparing to emigrate, some try to so something about their passions, some devote themselves to a certain idea, yet others don’t think of anything at all endeavouring to earn a penny and bring up their children…
Yet, this cannot go on forever…
Or can it?
And if every men are for themselves, then why?
Perhaps you will discover something for yourself at our exhibition in the Marina Tsvetaeva Memorial Museum...
Perhaps, you will find nothing.
It depends only on your own self…
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