On June 6, 2024, as part of the BRICS cultural events program, the 6th exhibition of the “Art Unites the World” project opened. It is called “Unlimited Pushkin” and is dedicated to the 225th anniversary of the birth of the great poet. Address: the “Masterskaya SMKh” space, Bryusov pereulok, building 2, Moscow, Russia.
The exhibition presents works by Zurab Tsereteli, Max Lytov, Anton Rabotnov, Geliy Korzhev, Tatyana Alekseeva, Alexey Zhuchkov, Gennady Shlykov, Oleg, Alexey and Nina Komov, Enzo Rosamilia.
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is limitless and international. His works have been embodied in various forms of art: visual, literary, musical, as well as on the stage of theatre, opera and ballet. His name sounds in all corners of the globe and is a unifying principle for people of different continents. Pushkin is associated in all languages of the world with the symbol of Russian culture.
For artists, Pushkin is associated with the concept of infinity in spatial and temporal terms. It seems that almost from birth we become acquainted with the first characters of the poet’s fairy tales and grow up with the heroes of his poems. Throughout our lives, we discover new meanings of his images through acquaintance with the works of authors created based on Pushkin’s legacy.
The work of Max Lytov “AeS Pushkin” presents a portrait of Pushkin appearing against the background of an abstract sky, clouds, sunlight, and gusts of wind. The image hovers above the architecture, in which St. Petersburg and Kronstadt are discernible. Blue eyes stand out against a graduated gray background, a characteristic feature of the Pushkins in the male line. The silhouettes of birds appear in the pupils – a symbol of limitless flight. The image of the poet is made in the style of new symbolism, of which Lytov is a master. The feeling of the boundlessness and infinity of genius is surprisingly accurately conveyed.
Neo-symbolism is embodied in a three-part installation made of slate and marble by Alexei Zhuchkov. The central part is called “The Last”, dedicated to the last work of Alexander Sergeevich “Forgetting both the grove and freedom…” from 1836. The text of the poem is inscribed on a stone into which a 12 mm lead bullet was pierced – an exact copy of the one with which the poet was mortally wounded. When creating the work, a pneumatic system was used, with the help of which a shot was fired into the marble. This work symbolizes the end of Pushkin’s life’s journey and the beginning of Pushkin’s endless and boundless existence.
The right and left parts of the composition “Drawings in the margins 1 and 2” represent Pushkin’s manuscripts on slate. According to literary scholars, the author made drawings in the margins of his drafts when his muse left him. Drawing silhouettes of the characters in his works gave him the opportunity to regain his inspiration. Thus, in these works, figurative motifs are of paramount importance.
The poet’s main muse was his wife Natalie. The development of this theme is reflected in two works in the exhibition. The exhibition presents a model of the monument to Pushkin and Goncharova, which was installed in 2024 in the Polotnyany Zavod museum reserve. The authors of the project are sculptor Oleg Konstantinovich Komov (1932-1994), architect Alexey Olegovich Komov, and architect Nina Ivanovna Komova (1938-2022). This work has been created for 25 years since 1989 and is the result of the work of the Komov dynasty. The sculptural images are imbued with a special psychologism and a premonition of drama.
The painting by Geliy Korzhev (1925-2012), one of the brightest representatives of the harsh style, depicts a married couple at a mirror. The composition of the paired portrait is unusual: the heroes in historical costumes of the first third of the 19th century have their backs turned to the viewer. At the same time, the gestures and expression of the movements of the figures are reminiscent of people close to the artist today, his friends. The artist creates the effect of our presence in the space of the painting, reducing the distance of two centuries. In this work, the author develops the theme of the relationship between the creator and the muse, which he began earlier, and the concept of the infinity of the process of comprehending the poet’s personality.
Using a unique technique of contour relief with mosaic fragments, a series of 14 works “Memories” of Pushkin” by Anton Rabotnov was made from smalt, metal and ceramics: “Hannibal A.P.”, “Pushkin the Child”, “Pushkina N.O.”, “Pushkina M.A.”, “Golden Rule”, “Pushkin V.L.”, “Mikhailovskoye”, “Caucasus. Ascension”, “Goncharova N.N.”, “PUSHKIN”, “Lukomorye”, “Arina Rodionovna”, “Winter Evening”, “Black River. Silence”. Portraits of representatives of the Pushkin family, the nanny Arina Rodionovna, glorified in poetry, landscapes associated with the family estate or the works of the poet, with the place of his death are presented. All parts of the composition are created from modern materials, the images are made using minimalist means of expression, the design of the works is in the style of objects decorating Russian estates of the 19th century, the way of life of which inspired the poet to create literary works. This method demonstrates an individual approach to reading the theme of the life and work of the great poet.
The bust of the poet, made by Gennady Shlykov in 2012, represents the neoclassical direction in modern sculpture, demonstrating the finest elaboration of facial features, curly hair, and the texture of the fabric of clothing.
The female portrait “Queen of Spades” by Tatyana Alekseeva is inspired by the wills of Russian avant-garde artists of the early twentieth century, theatrical sketches by A. Exter of the 1920s, female portraits by A. Tyshler and the work of Pablo Picasso “Queen Isabeau” from the collection of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. The image, like a mosaic, consists of multi-colored geometric fragments, personified with a ghostly card castle, ready to crumble at one moment and turn into a mirage.
In 2024, President of the Academy of Arts Z.K. celebrates his 90th birthday. Tsereteli. The image of the poet, performed by Zurab Konstantinovich in the genre of a ceremonial portrait in the 1980s, stands out for its colorful coloring, emphasized heroism, and nobility of personality. The canvas reflects the sincere warm feeling with which the artist relates to Alexander Sergeevich.
An international participant in the exhibition, Enzo Rosamilia, an artist from the Italian Solerno, presented two works from the 2024 series “Queen of Spades” in the author’s photography technique, printed on Daguerre’s museum canvas. Enzo has been devoting cycles of his works to famous Russian writers for many years, including M. Bulgakov, A. Chekhov, N. Gogol, L. Tolstoy. Enzo’s personal exhibition as part of the project “Art Unites the World. Boundless Pushkin” will take place at the Russian Museum of Photography in Nizhny Novgorod from July 24 to August 11, 2024.
Who helped
The Moscow Union of Artists, the Russian Academy of Arts, the Culture Committee of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Association of Monumental Artists, the section of monumental artists, the SMH Workshop, SNEG gallery, the International Association for the Support of Art OKSA Projects (Nothern Macedonia), and the International Pushkin Foundation in Brussels took part in the preparation of the exhibition.
Organizers’ plans
The exhibition in Moscow presents the works of only some of the authors. Very soon, on September 5, 2024, a joint exhibition of all project participants will take place in Kazan at the Pushkin Center.