Medienschau: Russian Art Censorship, Volksbühne, Douglas Gordon Doc, Surrealism in Nashville, Pope.L in NYC
According to Vlad Gagin in The Insider, contemporary Russian art is experiencing significant state oppression. There is strict oversight of exhibitions, constant surveillance of artists, and an increase in self-censorship. A curator remarked, "Censorship is total." Private art fairs are required to provide participant lists to the FSB. Boris Kljuschnikow coined the term "Putinist Formalism" to describe the crackdown on politically active art. Market demands compel artists to produce commercially viable pieces; a St. Petersburg artist lamented, "We have lost the sense of play." In Berlin, Matthias Lilienthal's Volksbühne faced criticism for reserving the 'Volksbad' for the Black community. Finlay Pretsell's documentary on Douglas Gordon highlights issues of narrative control. The Frist Art Museum's 'International Surrealism from Tate' receives acclaim for its thorough exploration, while The Drawing Center showcases Pope.L's work, emphasizing his resistance to categorization.
Key facts
- Vlad Gagin reports in The Insider that Russian contemporary art is increasingly silenced under state repression, with exhibitions, festivals, and artists controlled.
- A curator says 'Censorship is total'; even private art fairs must send participant lists to the FSB.
- Boris Kljuschnikow identifies 'Putinist Formalism': engaged art is persecuted, formalist art promoted.
- Jens Balzer criticizes Matthias Lilienthal's Volksbühne opening 'Volksbad' as a predictable provocation that Lilienthal used for self-styling.
- Finlay Pretsell's documentary 'Douglas Gordon by Douglas Gordon' premiered at Edinburgh Film Festival, with Gordon controlling the narrative.
- Andrew Pulver (The Guardian) calls the Gordon documentary 'bold and not entirely orthodox.'
- Leann Davis Alspaugh reviews 'International Surrealism from Tate' at Frist Art Museum, praising Wifredo Lam and Malangatana Ngwenya.
- Pope.L exhibition at Drawing Center, New York, reviewed by Zachary Fine, highlights 'principled irrationality' in the late artist's work.
Entities
Artists
- Vlad Gagin
- Boris Kljuschnikow
- Matthias Lilienthal
- Jens Balzer
- Christoph Schlingensief
- Douglas Gordon
- Finlay Pretsell
- Damon Wise
- Andrew Pulver
- Leann Davis Alspaugh
- Wifredo Lam
- Malangatana Ngwenya
- Joan Miró
- Jean Arp
- Pope.L
- Zachary Fine
Institutions
- The Insider
- FSB
- Volksbühne
- Die Zeit
- Edinburgh Film Festival
- Deadline
- The Guardian
- The New Criterion
- Frist Art Museum
- Tate
- Drawing Center
- The New Yorker
Locations
- Russia
- St. Petersburg
- Berlin
- Germany
- Edinburgh
- United Kingdom
- Nashville
- United States
- New York
- Mozambique