Berlin Exhibitions Contrast Soviet-Era and Post-Soviet Unofficial Russian Art
In late 1999 and early 2000, Berlin was the venue for two notable exhibitions featuring unofficial Russian art. "Die Sanft-Mutigen," held from November 17 to December 16, 1999, at the Russisches Haus, included artists such as Mikhail Shvartsman and Vladimir Vaisberg, who moved away from Socialist Realism to delve into spiritual themes. At the same time, "Neues Moskau," which ran from November 12, 1999, to January 9, 2000, at the ifa gallery, presented younger talents like Andrei Chlobystin and Timur Novikov, who critiqued the current Russian cultural landscape. Chlobystin's piece, "A new flag for Russia," represented both Soviet communalism and post-Soviet individualism, while Novikov's shrouds combined irony with Orthodox elements, emphasizing the disparity between Soviet non-official art and contemporary post-Soviet discourse.
Key facts
- Two exhibitions of unofficial Russian art were held in Berlin in late 1999 and early 2000.
- "Die Sanft-Mutigen" featured metaphysical painters from the 1960s–1990s: Mikhail Shvartsman, Vladimir Vaisberg, Eduard Steinberg, Ilya Tabenkin, Dmitry Krasnopevtsev.
- The metaphysical painters rejected Socialist Realism to focus on spiritual reality, linking the early avant-garde to later conceptual art.
- "Neues Moskau" showcased younger conceptual artists: Andrei Chlobystin, Vladislav Mamyshev, Timur Novikov, Inspection “Medical Hermeneutics”/Pavel Pepperstein, Yevgeniy Yufit.
- "Neues Moskau" traveled to Stuttgart (April 7–May 27, 2000) and Bonn (June 20–August 5, 2000).
- Andrei Chlobystin's project proposed a new Russian flag symbolized by a red-and-white polka-dotted toadstool.
- Timur Novikov created silver-embroidered shrouds depicting Tsar Nikolay II and his family, canonized by the Orthodox Church.
- Pavel Pepperstein's installation contrasted his absurd monument drawings with photos of Zurab Tsereteli's grandiose public sculptures.
Entities
Artists
- Mikhail Shvartsman
- Vladimir Vaisberg
- Eduard Steinberg
- Ilya Tabenkin
- Dmitry Krasnopevtsev
- Andrei Chlobystin
- Vladislav Mamyshev
- Timur Novikov
- Pavel Pepperstein
- Yevgeniy Yufit
- Kazimir Malevich
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Zurab Tsereteli
- Tsar Nikolay II
- Pushkin
Institutions
- Russisches Haus der Wissenschaft und Kultur
- ifa gallery
- ifa gallery Stuttgart
- ifa gallery Bonn
- Inspection “Medical Hermeneutics”
- Orthodox Church
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Moscow
- Russia
- St. Petersburg
- Stuttgart
- Bonn
- Manege square
- Georgia