Farewell, non-washed Russia!
Or, one more bursted soap bubble
The project "Hand-operated work", at the call of which we were pulled with different force of gravitation in St.-Petersburg, was held, and the share of disappointment with the even greater intensity has given to understand that broken away Russian ice-floe for a long time already has floated in the side opposite from us, and "bridges of mutual understanding" are dispatched earlier than someone from us was in time to put a leg on other side, probably, except for Kanat, in every possible way tried to emphasize his own elite and participation in the Russian context, from all forces...
Others
have not opened virgin buds over the excessively cold and held down atmosphere,
coming as from Marina herself, (for she, being the author of this project,
has crossed it out by herself to the spectators, who have casually come
on an exhibitions not absolutely understanding her idea. Dialogue of equal
was not held. Per the arrival day there was such characteristic picture
for a general situation: Almushka tried for itself to formulate connection
between the interlacings and tuskiism, (emphasizing a theme - the traditions
and modernity which in old times were embroidered by her grandmother,
preparing dowry for her. Nobody listened to her, but she continued the
story and, by looking at each sides, finding out absence any of attention
and interest, has come across a wooden blockhead; here she has turned
to him by the face, finding the attentive and trouble-free interlocutor,
as anyhow when it did not happen she has continued the narration, creating
spontaneous performance. Another performance was already officially submitted
by Gulnara Kasmalieva, artist from Kirghizia, per day of opening of an
exhibition. It carried only ethnographic character. Beforehand plaited
in multiple line, black tresses, lasted from the primitive machine tool
of nomads made from rods in the form of a triangular pyramid. These tresses
of length of about 2 m. were attached beforehand to native hair. Dressed
in national clothes, Gulnara, sitting down on a chair, has taken in hands
kobyz and started to simulate performance with sounds from the tape recorder
in a corner, that played Kyrgyz ethnic music. The not numerous environmental
public with weak interest observed for occurring. After play she has risen
and has cut off hair. Gulnara did not want to interpret the performance.
Everyone should guess the sense and ideas incorporated in her new project.
Mongolians - the mother and daughter, Dzhambalin Byamba and Endondzhamtz Odzherel have brought to the exhibition traditional for the nomadic peoples felt. They were sole ones of all artists who have trusted in the organizers in beginning of the things. What their surprise was, when arrived in day of opening they have found out all products in cellophane bag! Surprised Byamba has heard from Marina a word that for their trade it was allocated the best place on a little table! On what she with frowned eyebrow, has answered shortly and simply: "It isn’t good!" in broken Russian.
Disturbed Marina here ordered to hang up a carpet on a wall.
If
to speak seriously, it was hardly for the participants of the given exhibition
to look in more advantageous light, than these Mongolian masters: the
knowledge of the native language built for them own and independent space;
the wise tolerance and condescension even to the largest miscalculations
of the organizers exposed their figures, especially of the mother, on
a pedestal of internal perfection, due to internal ethics and sincere
goodwill. Well, the crown of their success at this exhibition there was
master-class on work with felt, which Byamba with her daughter have shown
for the third day of the exhibition. The wing of “Pushkinskaya, 10” at
once was filled meditative and clarified rest of mythological East. Under
silent sounding of the Mongolian music from under hands of Dzhambalin
Byamba there were magnificent and unique products - traditional white
headdress of noble Mongolian women, little felt bag, etc.
The "Media-Aitys", settling down on three monitors in a separate room, was accompanied by meal for poor and rich. Kurt, Pumpkin and Pineapple supplemented the information not only through hearing and sight, but also through bodies of touch. For not numerous Petersburg public the idea of poverty of riches has appeared as close and even urgent, especially for our old friends of the artists gathered in group "Rests of new wild" — Innokentii, John, and Volodya Petukhov, and other bearded artists wandering at the exhibition as transparent ghosts.
Petrsburg video artists — "Heron", Glyuklya and Dmitrii Vilensky, getting acquainted with in our video, were interested by installation, shootings. They have named Ablikim not parting with as a videocamera during all extent of the exhibition, hereby videomaniac. And Elya (Elena Neverdovskaya), artist and journalist (from cheerful group "New stupid ones") have compared the seen, namely prevailing barracking of the conductors, to real music of our town.
The underwater currents of Petersburg "contemporary art" gave to know about themselves.
The
cold proceeded not so much from a real atmosphere of northern capital
of former empire, how many from the not numerous artists who have come
to see the slapdash made exposition at Pushkinskaya st., 10. To there
did not come those artists, who could be interesting owing to absolute
ignorance about the fact of realization of this three-day time exhibition
of the artists representing Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Uzbekistan
and Russia.
Kanat was always correct to his worn image of the hero-exile. At first, he long stood in a pose of "Arian" with the crossed hands and puffed up under beams of "old feats", accomplished by him at other exhibitions in other time, and demonstrated by a projector on the white screen. Then, taking off him a lot of trousers and pants, he was in his trunks, and he sat down in chair. At the end of the action Kanat has recited verses of classics "Farewell, non-washed Russia" in broken Kazakh language, - and with it his boring performance was finished. And in the explanatory slip he has written that it is vain for you to wait from Central Asia any fresh ideas and inspiration, all is bullshit; and it’s al continuous masturbation, etc. Scandal has failed. The special reaction of the public was not shown, it was a little, and it did not know how to react, and in any case there were faint claps. Only one especially exquisite expert and gourmet from Petersburg Contemporary Art, taking place under great hypnosis of Gelman, once inflated Kanat’s soap bubble, with aspiration said: O Kanat! The positions of other experts, including Marina, were not shown for consciousness present of the meeting. And thick Kanat, coming to blinded Timur Novikov (one more cult figure of Petersburg open spaces), and giving him to touch his body, has loudly cried out: it’s me, Kanat Ibragimov who has killed the ram at Gelman’s, do you remember me?
The radicals were necessary to Russia in the beginning of 90s, for that consciousness of the Soviet citizens easier broke, for it was necessary to change "small screws", unscrewing them from communistic machine throwing them into the capitalistic. It is necessary to tell of this very much pleasant role for the modern actual artist. It is difficult to be interesting in absence of interest. Article of Elena Neverdovskaya, printed in one of Petersburg newspapers, refers to as "In absence of interest", in which she is rather exact and capaciously describes a situation with the exhibition "Hand-operated work". Marina, actively printed in the Russian editions on Modern Art, in one of articles, "Fresh blood-2, or grow fond of us in black” ("Rakurs", ¹ 1) writes, as though in polemic with one of western critic, disappointed in the Russian modern art which has named by her “ours second hand’. She was right. The new barbarians were not valid. An invasion was not held. Secret dream was to turn back as Asian muzzle. And it has not come true... it all clears up in the Russian context and finds out the attitude, even figurative, and to the East, too. On a question arisen for "round table", i.e. "whom and what for this project was necessary?» Marina has answered as that on an oratorical question "to be or not to be?" They are decided to be, thus giving a course usual gamble on a theme "Bridges of mutual understanding" at the grant competition which is taking place on all branches of fund of Soros in territory of former USSR, which on a plan of its “architects” should promote development of open, democratic and tolerant society. Idea is good, clever, kind. But they wanted as better, and it has turned out as always. There is, that for the sake of reception of the treasured grant, sometimes "Asian muzzle" is not a handicap, but a successful pretext. Alas! And at all my respect and love to huge culture and language becoming native, I can not ascertain the fact that, actually, the illness of the wounded vanity loosed bloodless war of the Russian Empire to our great regret can be reflected in its former citizens both artists including, and what can be therapy, everyone now for himself decides it, selecting the treat for recovery from abrupt decease, to which I have given definition as "Syndrome of the Great Senior Brother, or Sister ".
Zitta Sultanbaeva