From the 12th of October to the 14th of November the CCA WINZAVOD will host a group exhibition of paintings by young artists, “By Negative Proof”, dedicated to the question of the place and the prospects for the development of painting in contemporary art. The exhibition will feature works made using various techniques, including experimental ones.
On many occasions, in the twentieth century, it has been said that painting “is dead”. The organisers and participants of this exhibition have set themselves the task of showing that such remarks are just a pretext for another revival of painting, for it to surpass itself. Hence the name “By Negative Proof” which suggests a movement away from the habitual, the familiar and well-established, towards a new intuitive search. The starting point of such a search is the reality connected with each of the artists’ individual understanding of painting.
The initiative for the exhibition belongs to the students and graduates of Moscow’s leading contemporary art educational institutions – the Institute of Contemporary Art Issues, the Moscow School of Photography and Multimedia n. a. A. Rodchenko, the School of Contemporary Art “Free Workshops” MGAHI n. a. Surikov. “Young artists, united by the ideas of the development of painting, have taken this step without any support from the institutions, – said Vladimir Potapov, the curator and one of the participants of the exhibition. – The open acceptance application format has proved that the painting techniques and practices used by young artists are very diverse, and that there is a communicative environment which generates a steady desire to change the situation”.
During the admissions contest the organisers received over 200 applications from Russia, the CIS countries and others. The works of more than 40 artists were selected from them, including both new and already well-known names – Anna Zhelud, Egor Koshelev, Aleksandr Pogorzhelsky, Ilya Ioj and others. The expert committee was made up of prominent contemporary art figures: Yuri Shabelnikov, Natalia Abalakova, Anatoly Zhigalov, Irina Kulik, Darya Kamyshnikova, Darya Pyrkina, Aleksandr Sigutin, Aleksandr Panov.
The project “By Negative Proof” has been carried out with the support of “Agency. Art Ru”. The Agency considers the search and promotion of unknown – as yet unknown – names in the field of Art among its top priorities, and finally – the formation of a new generation of those who create truly contemporary art “here and now”. Moreover, “Agency. Art Ru” does not intend to be limited to exhibition activity alone. A number of educational programmes that “Agency. Art Ru” intends to run are designed to deepen and more fully develop the creative potential of young artists. The ever-growing database of “Agency. Art Ru” will give the opportunity to gain full knowledge of who’s who in Russian contemporary Fine Art. Actively cooperating with museums, providing comprehensive support to art groups and other projects, “Agency. Art Ru” is laying the foundation for an entirely new formula for working in the art scene – one that is creative and dynamic.
Red Workshop
CCA WINZAVOD
1, Bldg 6, 4th Syromyatnichesky Pereulok