Moscow - a new stronghold for artists

[LCR]

I deliberately left any inaccuracies (Piotrowski - Officer of the Hermitage, Kabakov "in exile", etc.), so you can assess the degree of professionalism with which the articles are written in the press. Mrs. Dyuponshel - not the exception but the rule.
I personally liked the paraphrase of Babel (Police ends where starts Benya), which is a poor journalist quoted, of course, quite accidentally
And so - read for yourself.
Yes, I do not really understand how the same line of jeans called Ms. Zhukova (in French it is something quite hard to swallow, half the words written in Cyrillic and half - Latin, you really forgive me.


Moscow - the new stronghold for artists

Le Figaro, 19.09

Valerie Dyuponshel

capital of Russia has become a meeting place for wealthy lovers of contemporary art

It seems that Moscow - a new Eldorado, where the money pouring golden rain, the object of desire world capitalism in crisis, began to speak a new language - the language of contemporary art.
"The interest in art in Russia is not new, our land has always been rich in great artists," - here the same as a true patriot, is responsible Dasha Zhukova, a young friend of Russia's billionaire Roman Abramovich, who recently opened a futuristic center for contemporary art "Garage". Until the 19 th October, it exhibited the first "Retrospective of Moscow. Alternative History of Art and other projects. " During this almost bureaucratic formula conceals Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, iconic couple of Soviet counter-culture, for 20 years living in exile in the United States.

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«contemporary art by definition. Perhaps today's art most accurately reflects our contemporary society, it should be a good mediator. Art - not a new tool for Russia, but it's a great tool "- mysteriously pronounces this a rich heiress, became a fashionable business woman (her line of jeans called" Hudiska "(?), That is" thin and beautiful).

With the seriousness characteristic of youth, Dasha wants to "triumph over skepticism toward modern art" and use "this great potential" in the service of all. But to what end? In his official speech at the opening day, Dasha, like a true missionary, spoke about a new society in which art should occupy a crucial role, in which it must be omnipresent.

What then is the art in Moscow? The cause of education, exemption, approval of its value - or it is intended simply to sell? The question may seem obscene in the form of goodwill, which led to the reconstruction Bahmetevskogo bus garage (1926), designed by Konstantin Melnikov and now converted into a garage, which tsatstvuyut design and advertising.

Those who attended the 12 th June at the first festival in Dasha's still not reconstructed building, do not believe my eyes at the sight of the maze, created by Ilya Kabakov, in order to show it in its old-fashioned and melancholic world. Project retrospectives Kabakov in Moscow after his recent exhibition in St. Petersburg, which marked his return to Russia, appeared before the Dasha Zhukova became a public interest in contemporary art. A member of the prestigious museum, Dr. Michael Piotrowski, came to Moscow from St. Petersburg to personally greet the couple's friends - Dasha and "Roma", which are not advertised publicly. Initially, this exhibition will open in other areas, with other sponsors. Most of the financial costs (the value of which has not been disclosed) assumed Romijn Abramovich, 41 and number 15 in the list of the richest people in the world.

Where konachetsya art and where politics begin? Modernist architecture of a garage that is adjacent brick building with white walls and red letters, avant-garde and revolutionary posters, located in the same building as the School of Lubavitch. A man of medium height, dressed in traditional clothing of orthodox Jews, Alexander Beard, followed by billionaire Abramovich like a shadow over all prazdenstv. "We are equal partners in the project garage, but our goal is not to make profits", - says Mr. Beard, president of the Jewish Federation of Russia (according to him, the Jewish population of 1 million, 500 thousand of whom live in Moscow). He stressed that the building, which houses the garage, a school for 400 students, medical center and home for pensioners. Some of the students, dressed in dark clothing, took advantage of a cheerful mess to smoke secretly in the desert corners, away from educators and teachers.

As contemporary art and its "sexual attack" uzhivetsya with God-fearing community, whose members do not allow themselves to shake hands with women? And for all that Russia's game, with its complex rules that are never explained, but it is always functioning properly, for the cerebral world of Ilya Kabakov, who invented the imaginary lives of three artists - "that allowed him to regain his red corner, a symbol of Soviet Russia, outraged some Russia's artists, are full of nostalgia - is totally alien to all this Larry Gagosian.

The American of Armenian origin, who began his ascent from the streets of Los Angeles, won New York with his distinguishing flegmatizmom white shark, and now he continues to astound New York. King among art dealers in Manhattan - from the fashionable quarters of the Upper East side to the epicenter of modernity - Chelsea, now he squints the eye of Moscow. It was rumored that he spent $ 3 million to lure the "new Russian" who do not know what a crisis - let it concern the Anglo-Saxon banks and birzhi.Etot great strategist, invited New York City in the heart of Russia's capital, which celebrates the Kabakov at four sites - from the Pushkin Museum (paintings and graphic variations on the theme of the Kiev gate like Monet's Rouen Cathedral) to the winery, the new quarter, on contemporary art, to place the karpichnyh buildings of the former winery (7 buildings, 20000 sq.. m the exhibition space).

Olga-haired, sparkling smile and dazzling jewels, a happy owner of winery, was present at all meetings of this crazy week in Moscow, held at a crazy speed, despite the capital's traffic jams, consisting of side by side gleaming limousines, luxury SUVs and old ruin, who were alive one Holy Spirit.

Collectors cream mixed with the most quoted artists of our time - as, for example, Takashi Murasaki - fun in the crush. Everyone was in high spirits, aided by the presence of prazdenstvah prekrasneyschih Russian fashion models and the most fashionable DJ, Paul Sevigny, brother of actress Kloe Savigny.

Olga smiled as all the guests who came from Paris (including a mad Gerran Hubert-Hermes), Iran or London, as brothers and Kamiar Shahriar Maleki, big fans of poetry Kabakov ... All enthusiastically parading a giant exhibition space, created by "business genius" Larry Gagosyanom in a former chocolate factory, transformed in record time, abandoned industrial space in the "big white cube" with myriads of white candles, shining like snowflakes.

But the magic wand in the art world never forgets about dividends. Red October Chocolate Factory for a month turned into a mini-museum of Modern Art MoMA: Lichtenstein there sosedstvvuet with Pollock, Twombly - with Picasso, De Kooning, Calder and Christopher Wood challenged the world trades. Giant Easter Egg by Jeff Koons, wrapped in turquoise paper and tied with bright pink ribbon, is in this demonstration of American power in the country of Faberge eggs, kitcheobraznyh treasures of Russian tsars.

And the art in this story? "Just open your eyes and see it. Go through the world Kabakov - is to see the painting again, enter the world that liberates and enriches you "- is responsible Monica Barbier-Mueller, a Swiss collector, known for its exacting.

"I met with Kabakov in 1987, when he priehad in Graz (Austria), at first, just for a visit. Since then, he was always goes on to describe Russia's life, and in this description combines criticism and sentimentality, it never ceases to deny a policy in favor of art, which is also a policy, I admire his ability to experimentation "- emphasizes Thaddeus Ropach, the Austrian gallery owner in Paris which shows Kabakov exhibition in Salzburg. And sells it as absolutely no doubt of the author.