Where is modern art heading to?
The first visitors of the anniversary forum, which is traditionally housed by Mystetsky Arsenal, are immediately impressed by the scale: 20,000 sq.m. of exhibition area and over 200 artists. Their works were placed within the limits of three large blocs (“DIALOGIA. Ukrainian art in unnamed times,” “Museum collection. Ukrainian modern art of 1985-2015 from private collections,” and a separate bloc with about 20 special projects from galleries and artists).
For the first time since 2012 Mystetsky Arsenal is using two of its floors: whereas the first one mainly presents painting and to a lesser extent sculpture, on the second floor, the guests of the forum plunge into the world of intricate installations. Here the role of artistic objects is played by plastic chairs fastened to the walls, old knickers grown over with moss, and a coat hanging from a ceiling in the light of spotlights. Everyone decides for himself how to interpret such creation or whether to interpret it in any way at all. “I perceive modern art as a naive child with ‘big eyes’ and without analyzing: ‘Oh, cool!’ I like this approach most of all,” shares her thoughts the host of the programs on Ukrainian Radio Halyna Babii, “When you have been following the artist for a long time, you can try to interpret his development, or vice versa, degradation. Mystetsky Arsenal is a kind of an epicenter of modern art in Ukraine. The impulses that emerge here are spread all across the country.”
UNNAMED TIME
According to the organizers, one of the main intentions of this year’s ART-KYIV Contemporary is to show the way covered by modern art in Ukraine since the late 1980s – early 1990s, when everything was limited to small galleries and a group of enthusiast artists, till present day, when contemporary art has become an attractive investment field for hundreds of collectors, whereas politicians, businessmen, and other high and mighty consider visiting the exhibit as a must. In such a way, ART-KYIV Contemporary recreates a kind of a symbolical museum of Ukrainian modern art, which does not have premises of its own. Near to large-scale installations of present-day artists here one see minimalistic, but bold for that time (end of the 1980s) drawings by Oleksandr Hnylytsky, created with the help of a usual marker. “With interest and nostalgia I watch the works which seemed to be forgotten long time ago,” artist Oleksandr Roitburd tells, “Last time I saw works by Hnylytsky was maybe for 20 years – I remember we were sitting on the floor and I was looking through a folder with these drawings. It is pleasant to see them again in an exhibition hall.”
To conceptualize the modern art, find out the prevailing trends, forms, and topics is not simple – because of radical pluralism which is typical for it. “Time has passed since we could speak about any mainstream,” thinks one of the curators of the forum, well-known art critic Oleksandr Soloviov, who on the opening day was celebrating his birthday. “Today everyone can afford having an opinion of his own. Here at ART-KYIV Contemporary, in particular, within the framework of the ‘Museum Collection’ we sought above all to capture the stage that has been covered. At the same time, an experimental ground was placed on the second floor of Mystetsky Arsenal. Most of the works here were created namely for this exhibit – the work on some of them is still underway. This is namely why we called this project ‘art in unnamed time.’ We are speaking about the living form, the art that is in the process of creation.”
PROTEST AGAINST PROTEST?
According to Oleksandr Soloviov, the artistic process in Ukraine during the past years has been closely connected with social criticism. “This art exists in the world of words and notions, in the world of critical discourse,” the visual expressiveness becomes secondary,” the curator explains. “We are speaking about a kind of continuation of political life – the artist seeks to be with people, in the middle of social events. It will be reminded that the generation of artists that came after the collapse of the USSR, vice versa, was based on consciously asocial and apolitical positions – that was a response to the ideological suppression during the Soviet time. The depressive limitations of the USSR were replaced by the time of total freedom and at the same time… society’s indifference towards art – do whatever you want, no one will forbid you anything, but they won’t support you either. Today, in the decade when two Maidans have been taken place, the artists feel more comfortable not in the quietness of their own studios, but in the street. In our time of total opposition, in the time of Bellum omnium contra omness (Lat. “A war of all against all”), “pen became equal to rifle,” the responsibility for art expression is growing. Now art may not just be disliked – the consequences for the artist can be quite physical. Today the question about the ability of society to perceive art expression is more acute than ever. The Ukrainian trend coincided here with the world one. On the international level two Ukrainian creative unions became known: the group REP (Revolutionary experimental space) and SOS-ka from Kharkiv. Recently they celebrated their 10-year anniversary. With our project DIALOGIA within the framework of ART-KYIV Contemporary we wanted to underline that preserving the originality of our own ‘I,’ we need to listen to the ‘Other.’”
But even the abovementioned artists, according to Oleksandr Soloviov, have almost undergone museification. This is namely why present “is waiting for the next age,” which will replace it. “New artists and new trends must emerge,” the curator considers, “But what they will be like, it is hard to say. Today many authors have lost interest to the subject of protest and direct action. Maybe they will again return to the importance of actually creation, priority of aesthetics over ethics.”
The forum of art projects ART-KYIV Contemporary will last in Mystetsky Arsenal till October 10. The admission is 50 hryvnias (working days), 60 hryvnias (weekend).
