BELYANA by Marina Fomenko is a part of Special Project of Shiryaevo Biennale of Contemporary Art "BURLAKS: BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA"
July 20 - September 20, 2014
Curators: Nelya Korzhova, Roman Korzhov
http://www.ncca.ru/en/events.text?filial=3&id=1278
ORGANIZERS:
VOLGA REGION BRANCHOF NATIONAL CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS
ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY OF SAMARA
DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, TOURISM AND YOUTH POLICY OF THE SAMARA CITY
SAMARA REGIONAL PUBLIC CHARITABLE FUND «CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART»
Artists: Dmitry Bulnygin (Russia), Konstantin Adger (Russia), Marina Fomenko (Russia), Vladimir Potapov (Russia), Dmitry Kadyntsev (Russia), Daria Emelyanova (Russia), Elena Vorobyova (Kazakhstan), Viktor Vorobyov (Kazakhstan) Gustav Helberg (Sweden), Swetlana Heger (Austria),Dennis Delwér (Sweden), Loes Degener (Netherlands), Douwe Mulder (Netherlands), Jonas Westlund(Sweden).
Curators: Nelya Korzhova, Roman Korzhov.
International project "Burlaks: between Europe and Asia" dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian painter I. E. Repin. Project is realized in the format of the creative laboratory in the village Shiryaevo and by final exhibition at the summer on the territory of Factory Kitchen, a unique monument of constructivism, built in 1932 by architect E. N. Maximova.
In Shiryaevo scheduled to take place artistic research about the influenceof creative projects in Shiryaevo on the worldview of residents of the village on the example of Repin’s plein-air in 1870and Shiryaevo Biennale (1999 - 2013). Strategic method of laboratory realized by sudden intrusion of artists into the everyday life of location.
Despite of the century and a half gap, there are a lot of common in the ideas of Repin’s plein-air and "creative laboratory" of Shiryaevo Biennale. In both cases, the artists work with metaphysics of space and inspired not only by the surrounding landscape, but also feel the force of resist. As a result, works, createdby artists with active involvement of local residents,are social, philosophical and critical in nature.
Project actualizethe problematics of I. Repin’s "Burlaks" in an international context today.Presentation of the project on the territory of Factory Kitchen, allowto emphasize the line of continuity from critical realism and avant-garde ideas of constructivism to contemporary art.
Program
20.07 - 25.08
International creative laboratory works: art-research in Samara and Shiryaevo, creative meetings, creation of works
01.08 at 18:00
Gustav Helberg performance "Two tribes", in the courtyard of Factory Kitchen, Samara, Novo-Sadovaya, 149
5.09 - 20.09
Exhibition "Burlaks: between Europe and Asia" in the summer pavilion in the courtyard of Factory Kitchen, Samara, Novo-Sadovaya, 149
Current interest of contemporary artists to Repin’s creativity due to its passion to the topic of social inequality. Painting "Burlaks", which became an apotheosis of prognostic of the class struggle, deserves special attention, as a phenomenal piece of art, which got a recognitionof the warring parties.So, painting was actively used for propaganda purposes by Soviet power,despite the fact that the Grand Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich bought it in 1873 at the World Exhibition in Vienna and put it in the billiard room of the Vladimir Palace.Such unity could be interpreted as a prognostic of moral and philosophical differences of the parties which will become stages of unified system of market relations over time.
In this situation, anopportunitycomparison of social maneuvers in the epoch of capitalism, which was described by Repin, and total kingdom of market today, actualizezone of attraction of this painting.
On the other hand, the creative method of spontaneousinvolvement of the artist in society became more active now than it has ever been. This tradition, which is widespread in practice of plein-air, has mastered new tools of production (replaced the brush on a video camera, etc. /) but save unique opportunity of direct contact in choosing of natureopenness to the unexpected turns of events. Ilya Repin was 26 years old when he traveled along the Volga with companions in search of nature, and stopped in Shiryaevo where he made sketches for the painting "Burlaks on the Volga". In his diary he wrote: "my very first sketch with a group of children on the bank was over with scandal.The kids were very happy to get some money for posing, but their mothers came running, they was horrified, they walloped children and forced them to throw money. Only inveterate burlaks have agreed to pose”. Perhaps, artist was fascinated by this resistance of local residents.
And finally, certainly, it is very interesting moment of artists’ sidentity through the images of burlaks.
Who would were burlaks today? Freelancers? Unnecessary people? Vagabonds, who don’t know where to apply themselves? Or people with free energy, who form a new area of application by own desire?
Nelya Korzhova