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exhibition

Angels of History

17 sep 2005 - 27 nov 2005

Moscow Conceptualism and its influence

 


curators: Joseph Backstein, Bart De Baere

coordinators: Liliane Dewachter, Anya Zaitseva

conference Angels of History Russian dissidents: political context by Dr. Yvan Vanden Berghe
Debat over de beeldvorming van gevangenen in de media
beeldenstorm in een spiegelzaal: het ICC en de actuele kunst 1970 - 1990
Presentation from Devrim Bayar new publication 'Komar & Melamid, un art de la médiation’ and dia-conferention ‘Paradoxes of artistic collaboration in Russia and the West’ by Vitaly Komar.

publication Angels of History

collectionpresentation The collection XII - autumn 2005







This exhibition starts from a synthetic view of Moscow Conceptualism, an as yet undervalued phenomenon in art history. It embodies the return of contemporary art in Russia, of which the country had once been a beacon.
Moscow Conceptualism emancipated art from the social realist tradition which for so long had been the doxa in Russia, making art again autonomous from official society, being both a critique and – still more important – a possible alternative. It proposes a mode of artistic behaviour, both linked to reality and striving to transcend it through radical choices. This return to the real – a microcosm, potentially a macrocosm – can be seen as a return to common sense.
Artists in this tradition have the responsibility to further and enhance understanding.

This ‘angelic’ moment is till now the defining reference for contemporary art practice in Russia, its ‘second avant-garde’. It is the central strand in the history of Russian contemporary art from the sixties till the late eighties and as such continues to be a ground for artists in Russia up till today.
Two years ago the Antwerp M HKA researched the contemporary situation in Russia in cooperation with Viktor Misiano through the project ‘Horizons of Reality’. Now the museum aims at the potential of vision Russia offers on contemporary art with ‘Angels of History’. This exhibition is developed with Joseph Backstein. He was not only director of the first Moscow Biennial for Contemporary Art earlier this year, but he is above all a specialist on Moscow conceptualism and a participant in the movement from its early, underground years onwards.
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Erik Bulatov, How Are Clouds Going, How Are Things Going, 2000 collection artist
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Collective Action, Audio Perspectives 1989

‘Angels of History’ wants to look back but forward at the same time, to take a wider view. It does not aim to be a historical exhibition, even if a background of historical documentation will be offered in a documentation corner organised by the Archive of Contemporary Russian Art on the upper floors of the M HKA.

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Collective actions, photo Objects, 1989 photo M HKA

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Andrei Monastyrsky, Fountain, 2005 photo M HKA collection artist & Stella Art Gallery Moscow
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Konstantin Zvezdochetov, Remembrance of the Toadstools, 2005 foto M HKA collection artist

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Pavel Pepperstein, the Angels being Accompanied by Birds, 2005 foto M HKA
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Collective actions, photo Objects, 1989 photo M HKA


With works by Yuri Albert, BlueSoup Group, Erik Bulatov, Collective Actions, Vladimir Dubossarsky & Alexander Vinogradov, Inspection Medical Hermeneutics, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, Vitaly Komar & Alexander Melamid, Irina Korina, Oleg Kulik, Andrei Monastyrsky, Vlad Monroe, Mukhomor, Anatoly Osmolovsky, Pavel Pepperstein, Vadim Zakharov, Konstantin Zvezdochetov.
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A reference work on ‘Moscow Conceptualism’ is published by Europalia International, Mercatorfonds and State Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSIZO
“Angels of History”: Soft Cover, 96 pp, 140 images, full colour, ISBN 90 61 53 619 7, D/2005/703/44, c 2205 Mercatorfonds Brussels/ Europalia International, Brussels/ Stata Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSIZO, Moscow, 25€)
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On the occasion europalia.russia
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M HKA_media
RUSSKOJE KINO
From October 2005 until January 2006 M HKA_media presents a substantial overview of the Russian film from the beginning of the 20th century onwards.
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Organizers from Russian side are the Federal Agency of Culture and Cinematography, the International Confederation of Theatre Associations, the Federal State Entity State Museum and Exhibition Center ROSIZO, the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic, IMA-Consulting and the Embassy of Russian Federation in Belgium. Belgium: FOD Buitenlandse Zaken, Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid, FOD Arbeid, Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Communauté française de Belgique, Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest

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Vlad Monroe , StarZ, 1996-2005 photo M HKA
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Vlad Monroe with his work, StarZ, 1996-2005 photo M HKA
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Joseph Backstein, Portraits of Andrei Monastyrsky, 1990 foto M HKA
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Yuri Albert, for the deaf and mute (what the artist wanted to say) from the series elitist – democratic art, 1987 photo M HKA
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Vitaly Komar & Alexander Melamid, Psalms, 1991 photo M HKA
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Vitaly Komar & Alexander Melamid, Psalms (detail), 1991 photo M HKA
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Ilya Kabakov, Hand and Reproduction of Ruisdales, 1965 collection Viktoria Mochalova
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Irina Korina with her work Modules 2005 photo M HKA collection Lenin Museum, Moscow, Collection of the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
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Oleg Kulik, Leo Tolstoy and Hens, 1997-2005 photo M HKA collection artist & Novy Foundation Moscow