David Ter-Oganyan's 'Black Geometry' at Marat Guelman Gallery Explores Political Borders Through Abstract Paintings
From July 8 to July 20, 2009, Marat Guelman Gallery in Moscow hosted 'Black Geometry,' an exhibition by David Ter-Oganyan. It showcased nine untitled white canvases adorned with central black shapes. Influenced by his father, Avdey Ter-Oganyan, the conceptual artist explores political themes through semi-abstract works. The display featured acrylic paintings characterized by geometric lines and spontaneous brushwork, drawing inspiration from the irregular borders of African nations and former Central Asian republics. A wall text referenced Hegel's Eurocentric perspective on Africa. Ter-Oganyan's previous work, 'This is Not a Bomb' (2006), addresses resistance strategies. Guided by Anatoly Osmolovsky, he is part of the Moscow conceptualist movement. Yulia Tikhonova's review appeared on ARTMargins Online on September 9, 2009.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Black Geometry' ran from July 8 to July 20, 2009
- Featured nine untitled white canvases with black central shapes
- David Ter-Oganyan is a Moscow-based conceptual artist with over 15 years of practice
- Influenced by his father Avdey Ter-Oganyan, exiled in 1998
- Shapes inspired by borders of African countries and Central Asian republics
- Wall text included Hegel's quote on Africa from 'The Philosophy of History'
- Earlier work 'This is Not a Bomb' (2006) uses Coca Cola bottles and an alarm clock
- Mentored by Anatoly Osmolovsky, a key Moscow conceptualist
Entities
Artists
- David Ter-Oganyan
- Avdey Ter-Oganyan
- Anatoly Osmolovsky
- Malevich
- El Lissitzky
- Yulia Tikhonova
Institutions
- Marat Guelman Gallery
- ARTMargins Online
- Radek collective
- Khudozhestvenny zhurnal
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- New York
- United States
- West Sahara
- Namibia
- Lebanon
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Mali