Alexandra Exter's "In Retrospect"

[Евгений]

Date: May 29 - August 22, 2010
Address: Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Petrovka, 25
Opening: May 28, 2010 at 19:00

An unprecedented retrospective exhibition of works by Alexandra Exter at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art - an event that can not be overemphasized. Alexandra Exter - one of the "Amazons" and the brightest stars of Russian avant-garde. It was a constant party to almost all the major exhibitions of new art - community of "Jack of Diamonds" and "Union of Youth», «№ 4" and "A Streetcar B", "Top", "5 × 5 = 25" and others. Advanced Russian art of the beginning of XX century is unthinkable without the works of the artist - if they are excluded, the picture would be incomplete and lose much of its uniqueness.

With the name of Alexandra Exter is associated principal direction in the history of Russian art, as kubofuturizm - a very special "Russian" version of Futurism, which was reflected in numerous abstract compositions, still lifes and townscapes. It is often Exter was a conductor of new ideas in Russian painting, it was her many years of domestic audience acquainted with the latest Parisian avant-garde. Long time and kept living in Paris, being in friendly relations with Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Guillaume Apollinaire, and many other colorful figures of the era, Exter promoted their work in Russia. And not only promoted but their art in many ways points the way to adapt their discoveries Russian artists.

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The figure of Alexandra Exter is inseparable from the triumphs of the Russian theatrical stage: execution of its performances at the Moscow Chamber Theater - "Famira Kifared", "Salome," "Romeo and Juliet" - went down in history as masterpieces, marked a stunning beauty of the costumes and scenery. In the history of art and entered her famous Martian costumes for the movie Jacob Protazanov "Aelita". In addition, Exter has proved itself as the author of sophisticated projects and a woman's dress uniform for the Red Army.

It so happened that, unlike many of his contemporaries and fellow new art, at Exeter so far not been a serious exhibition. It is a serious, scientifically reasoned, with clearly developed concept, and most importantly - the exhibition, which fully demonstrated the highest would be versatile art artist. The project of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art - the first retrospective of Alexandra Exter, valuing the creative discovery of the leading representative of the Russian avant-garde. The exhibition will consist of easel paintings, drawings, sketches of costumes and scenery, as well as the unique author's manuscript books (livres manuscrits), which has never before been exhibited. For the first time will be well represented theater Alexandra Exter - about 60 works from the collections of the State Central Theatre Museum named AABahrushin.

Works by Alexandra Exter equally owned and France. Since 1910-ies, Exter has participated in many landmark exhibitions in Paris, just before his last days exhibited at the Paris "Salon of the Independents. About the Art of Alexandra Exter wrote the eminent French critics - Guillaume, Apollinaire, Waldemar George, Maurice Raynal, and others. Therefore, the project is now in the Year of Russia - France, is particularly important and timely. Paris during the creation Exter (after 1925) has never been fully represented in Russia, and the current retrospective gives viewers the opportunity to get acquainted with some of the works of this period.

The curator of the exhibition - George F. Kovalenko, Dr Habil, Head of Department of Russian art of XX century of Arts Research and Chief Scientific Officer of the State Institute of Art. Kovalenko - one of the principal biographers of Exeter and a leading expert in the field of her work, the author of two books and numerous articles published in Russia and abroad.

Design of exposure develop Boris Asafovich Messerer, a famous artist and set designer, president of the Association of Artists Theatre, Film and Television in Moscow.

The exhibition is preparing a large-scale catalog, consisting of monographs, publications previously unknown archival and manuscript materials, a bibliography, a list of exhibitions, scientific apparatus and the fine series - reproductions of works by Alexandra Exter.

Works for the exhibition were provided by:

Astrakhan State Picture Gallery. Dogadin, Astrakhan
Vologda Regional Art Gallery, Vologda
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
State Museum-Preserve "Rostov Kremlin, Rostov
State Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin, Moscow
The State Museum of Theatre, Music and Film of Ukraine, Kiev
The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
The Theater Museum. AABahrushin, Moscow
Krasnodar Regional Art Museum. F. Kovalenko, Krasnodar
Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow
National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kiev
Nizhnetagilsky Municipal Museum of Fine Arts, Nizhny Tagil
Russian State Archive of Literature and Art
Saratov Art Museum. AN, Saratov
Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum, Serpukhov
Yaroslavl Art Museum, Yaroslavl
as well as private collectors in Moscow