Artists in the show: Anna Alchuk, Moscow + Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Sydney
+ Gik Juri, Moscow + Aleksey Dayen, New York + Boris Konstriktor, Saint-Petersburg + Edward Kulemin, Smolensk + Alexey Lazarev, Moscow + Rafael Levchin, Chicago + Boris Lurie, New York + Henning Mittendorf, Frankfurt + Valery Mishin, Saint-Petersburg + Alexandr Motsar, Kiev + Alexandr Ocheretyanski, New York
Curator: Gik Juri
L Gallery | Oktyabrskaya Street 26 | Moscow | May 17th through June 7th, 2008
for more information see ►http://mail-art-east.livejournal.com/
It’s true that all contemporary art have relation to conceptualism. Classic conceptualism finished in 1980s and after this death there was born big range of art trends: from mail art and visual poetry till neo-geo and computer art. Common for this trends was priority of idea above visual contents of work, and this property of contemporary art works we can call post-concept.
Smeshtech is Russian literature and visual art phenomenon. Leader here is Alexandr Ocheretyanski (New York), chief-editor of “Chernovik” almanac. Smeshtech consists of works made in techniques of complex collage, visual poetry and different mixed media. Smeshtech-concept is attempt to go forward, on the next level, 20-years experience of smeshtech uniting it with conceptualism.
Works shown at the exhibition relate equally to post-concept and to smeshtech-concept.
Philosophical cycle “Phrases” by Alexandr Ocheretyanskiy is radical experiment in the contemporary poetry. He continues line of the “found poetry” by Bern Porter.
Paintings by Aleksey Dayen and prints by Boris Lurie belong to NO!art movement, almost unknown in Russia. This movement appeared more than 50 years ago as opposition to pop-art. In fact, it will be first show of NO!art works in Russia.
Graphics compositions by Boris Konstriktor are classics of Russian visual poetry, little known art trend in Russia too.
Cycle “Old ephebs” by Rafael Levchin is lyrical visual poetry composition and brilliant set of works by collage master.
“House for poem” project by Alexey Lazarev connects experience of architecture and poetry, and this search is in context of visual poetry traditions.
Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya in the project “Pi-dimension chess” is meditating theme of Alice from “Alice in the Behind Mirror land” by means computer technologies.
Computer collages by Gik Juri describe biography of Alexey Kruchenykh, one of the Russian Futurism founders. Alexey Kruchenykh is more famous at the West then in Russia.
Photos by Anna Alchuk are good illustrations for her poetry.
Edward Kulemin in his “Artrophonia” project shows interaction of human body with body of poetry.
Cycle “100 years in solitude” by Valery Mishin is penetrating story about melancholy in life.
Alexandr Motsar in his set “Portraits” shows his relation to classical artists and writers.
Complex collages by Henning Mittendorf reflect his philosophical point of view to the world. This works are good demonstration of contemporary German visual poetry.
On the opening we shall show videos “Shumer’s noise” and “Origin of monuments” by Sergey Levchin, “NeSOVpadiniya” by Sergey Zagniy and Anna Alchuk, “Homage to Ana Alchuk” by Gik Juri and animation movies “Chess” by Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya and “Combi-korm” by Edward Kulemin.
Alexandr Ocheretyanskiy will make slide lecture “Oriental projects” (2001-2008) on the opening.
We shall show on the opening live performances:
“Word is all what we have” by Valery Mishin and “Um mnu” by Edward Kulemin.
