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Art
Museums, Galleries and Photo Exhibitions in Moscow
contents:
fine
art museums • contemporary art • photography galleries
• exhibition halls
Tretyakov
Art Gallery II (Tretyakovskaya
gallereya)
The permanent exhibition"Art of the XXth Century" displays
a rich collection of Russian paintings. From Abstraction to Soviet
Propaganda paintings, you can see here world wide known Masterpieces
as the 'White square on white' by the suprematist Kasimir Malevich,
or the warm 'Improvisations' by the expressionist abstract Wassily
Kandinsky.
As you visit the different halls of the gallery, you walk through
colors, and at the same time through the century.
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Malevitch,
Black suprematist square, 1915, ©Tretyakov
Gallery
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There
are works by the cubofuturists Goncharova, Popova, and by
the
poetic Chagall, Petrov-Vodkin...It's interesting to recognize
how Russian artists were at the avant-garde in the 1910's -being
the instigators of revolutionary movements like Abstraction
and Malevitch's Suprematism. Then it seems like Russian Art
was totally in pace with western Art movements such as Rayonism
and Cubism, before it found it's own way after the 1917 Revolution. |
Tretyakov gallery has
a nice collection of those paintings made in the Soviet times. Before
the 30's, the artists of the group Thirteen were making folk and
impressionist paintings (Mavrina,Sofronova), the OST group (featuring
Pimenov, Deneika, Williams) was interested in the changes in the
society.Their subjects were cities, factories, mechanisms, they
were fascinated by everything developing and growing.
Then in the early 1930's until the 50's, Socialist Realism was imposed
and all the independent groups were dissolved. Portraits of Stalin,
of Russian scientists and cult personnalities were typical of this
period.
Deneika,1926, ©Tretyakov
Gallery
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For example, Deneika in 'At the construction of new factory
shops' represented women at work, their bodies -very strong
and full of life, seeming so happy to give their force to build
machines, to make the country's economy rise. In 'the Defense
of Petrograd', injured soldiers walk back from the battle field,
and other young strong women and men soldiers walk towards it,
determined to win. |
Later when Krushchev began to rule and to make reforms in the country,
artists had a laps of free expression (Andronov, Popkov). In 1962,
after the party leaders started to care about art there were two streams:
official and unofficial art. The first imposed Realism and themes
such as History, Labour (Nazarenko in the 70's gives these themes
a new vigor, treating them in her own and very lyric way). And the
later went through different styles such as Pop art, metaphysical
abstraction, it criticized the goverment through Surrealism, then
it explored the essence of art (Shvartsman, Chuikov).
The Gallery features
also works of the 80's, 90's.
Address:
Krimskiy Val #10, tel. (095) 951-1362, Area: Arbat & Kropotkinskaya
(center south-west), metro Oktyabrskaya (orange, circle), Park Kultury
(red, circle). Open: tue-sun 10.00-19.30 (cash desk closes
at 18.30) Price: for foreigners adults-220 Rbls, reduced
rates-125 Rbls, for russians and members of ëçÉ adults-25
Rbls, reduced rate-10 Rbls. Internet: www.tretyakov.ru
Tretyakov Art GalIery (Tretyakovskaya
gallereya). Permanent collection
"Russian Art from XIth to beginning XXth Century".
If you want to see the evolution of Russian Art from Icons
to modern art it's the place to visit.You can see masterpieces
by
the best
Russian artists in two hours. There are always many tourists
in the gallery but it is interesting for natives too -many
Russians regularly visit "Tretyakovka" to have a
look at their favorite artists.
The gallery also organizes temporary exhibitions, at the moment
it's called "the Holy land of Russia" displaying
Russian art from XVth to XIXth century related with orthodox
religion.The
old icons depict the birth of Christ and other religious themes
in crazy compositions completely free of perspective rules,
and realistic proportions.
Novgorod
school,XVth c, ©Tretyakov
Galleru
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These
halls of the gallery are
full of gold and colour rough paintings on wooden panels.
The
contrast is striking with the oil on canvas photo-like paintings
of the XIXth century, showing the interior of village churches,
or exotic landscapes of how Russian artists imagined the
holy
Jerusalem. |
Address:
Lavrushinskiy pereulok #10, tel. (095) 951-1362, Area: Zamoskvorechie
(south center), metro Tretyakovskaya (yellow, orange). Open:
tue-sun 10.00-19.30 (cash desk closes at 18.30) Price:
for foreigners adults-160 Rbls, reduced rates - 95 Rbls, for russians
and members of adults-20 Rbls, reduced
rate-8 Rbls.
Pushkin Fine Art Museum (Pushkinskiy
musey). The richest Western art and antiquities collection in
Moscow. On the first floor there are famous European
sculptures. On the second floor is one of the best collection of
impressionists: Cezanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso,
Deren, Marke, Vlamink. There are always only a few people in the
museum.
The collection is so complete because hundreds of pieces of art
were taken from Germany by the Red Army after WW2. After several
world debates concerning their restitution the Russian Duma officialy
registered the pieces of art as 'property of the Russian State'.
In the beginning of the 90s Brener, a Russian contemporary artist
(the one who painted "$" sign on Malevich's picture in
Amsterdam -see on the right column) went to the second floor, stood
in front of Van Gogh's paintings, looked at them for some time
and
then defecated - to express how much touched he was by the master's
art.
Address:
Volhonka street #12, tel. (095) 203-9578. Area: Arbat & Kropotkinskaya,
metro Kropotkinskaya (red). Open: tue-sun 10.00-18.30.
Personal Collections Museum
- as a part of Pushkin's Museum, it's situated right next to
it,
it
displays
various
kinds of temporary
and pernament exhibitions: personal collections, Russian and other
countries' art, contemporary art etc. Sometimes hosts advertisement
exhibitions as well.
Address:
Volhonka street #14, tel. (095) 203-1546. Area: Arbat & Kropotkinskaya.
metro Kropotkinskaya. Open: wed-sun 12.00-19.00 (ticket
sales till 18.00).
The Museum of Russian Traditional Art. There are only
contemporary exhibitions of Russian traditional art, dedicated
to its history,
types, regions.
Address:
Leontievski
lane #7, tel. 291-8718. Area: Tverskaya,
metro Pushkinskaya (violet), Arbatskaya (dark blue). Open: tue-sat
11.00-17.00
Mayakovsky Museum (Musey
Mayakovskogo). Mayakovskiy is a famous Russian poet of the beginning
of XXth
century. But
even if
your aren't interested in literature itself it might be interesting
to visit this museum anyway. It is a strangely decorated and uncommon
building with plenty of interesting things from 1920-1930 inside.
That will carry you in the fairy time after the First World War
when people in Russia were thinking about a bright future.
Address:
Lubyanskiy proezd #3/6, tel. (095) 921-9387, Area:
Kitai Gorod, metro Lubyanka (red). Open: mon-tues 10.00-17.00,
thur 13.00-20.00
Moscow Contemporary Art Museum (Moskovski Muzei Sovremennogo
Isskustva). The first museum of contemporary art in Moscow, opened
not long
ago by Zurab Zereteli
- a man whom many people don't like for his bad taste. Because
he's the one who chooses, the collection is not very diverse, it's
mainely
composed of figurative paintings. But it's getting better: installations,
objects and paintings of contemporary Russian artists start to
appear.
Address:
Petrovka
street #25 tel. (095) 200-6695, 200-2890. Area: Tverskaya,
metro Tchekhovskaya (grey). Open: wed-mon 12.00-19.00.
Contemporary
Art & Photo Galleries in Moscow
Moscow's art
galleries are good places to experience Russian contemporary art,
which can
tell
you a lot about what's happening now in Russia. There are often exhibitions,
performances, video shows. The entrance is usually free. We don't
list the galleries which are specialized only in selling art pieces.
Many galleries are located in the central area of Mayakovskaya metro
station. They are sometimes hard to find, so make sure you know
exactly where it is located before your visit.
TV Gallery. A production center that makes
films about Russian contemporary art and sometimes hosts interesting
noncommercial exhibitions
by Russian and foreign contemporary artists (the last one was
Douglas Davis).
There you can buy their documentaries on Russian contemporary art:
Kulik acting as a dog on Moscow streets, female artists video art,
video recordings from many performances in Moscow.
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Tishkov,
'A farewell to a fir-tree', video, photo installation, 2002.
photo©tvgallery
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For
example, in winter 2003 there was an exhibition called 'A
farewell to a fir tree', a video and photo installation by
Leonid Tishkov
showing portraits of abandoned dead pine trees lying in dustbins
after the feasts.The
video shows the burying of a pine tree in Tsaritsino cemetery.
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Address:
Bolshaya Yakimanka, #6. tel. 238-0269.
Area:
Zamoskvorechie, metro Polayanka (grey). Open:
tue-sun 12.00-18.00. Internet: www.tvgallery.ru/en/
XL
Gallery.
Good
exhibitions of Russian and foreign contemporary art and photography.
On their website you can see the work of the artists they exhibited
as Lyudmila Gorlova, or Sergei Shutov who was representing Russia
at the Biennale of Venice 49.
Kulik,
Reservoir dog, 30 march 1995, photo © Artinfo |
There
was an interesting exhibition of installations by Oleg Kulik
in XL Gallery. Oleg Kulik is a famous Russian contemporary
artist who used to pretend to be a dog, getting naked on
the streets and barking at people. |
Address:
Podkolokolny per. #16/2,
tel. 917-8508,
916-8235 Area:
Kitai Gorod, metro Kitai Gorod (violet or orange). Map:
Kitai Gorod, sights object #5.
Open: mon-fri 14.00-20.00. Internet: www.xlgallery.com
Marat Guelman's Gallery.
Invitation
to Mavromati's performance in Guelman Gallery
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A
universal gallery - any kind of exhibitions of contemporary
Russian artists' works and performances.
It's here that Mavromati made a performance where he was crucified
in september 2001.
Most artworks are also for sale. |
Address:
Malaya Polyanka street ("small" Polyanka), #7/7 building
5. Tel. 238-8492, 238-2783. Area: Zamoskvorechie, metro Polyanka
(grey). Walk out of the metro, turn right, walk to the next street
(Malaya Polyanka) and make a left turn on it. Walk straight this
street and after the first cross turn left, enter the arch and in
front of it a little to the left is the gallery. Open:
tu-sat 12.00-18.00.Internet:
www.guelman.ru
Photosoyuz.
An
interesting photo gallery, featuring exhibitions by modern Russian
photographers
Address: Pokrovka St., #5, tel.: 921-5727. Area: Kitai
Gorod, metro Kitai Gorod. Map: Kitai
Gorod, square D3, object 6 (*). Open: tue-fri
13/00-19/00, sat 11/00-16/00. Price: free
Lumier Brothers Photogallery. (Galereya
Bratiev Lyumier) is focused on Soviet photo art of 1920-1950 and
on the most interesting contemporary Russian photographers.
Photo
provided by Lumier Gallery
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From
12 November until 15 December 2004 there's an exhibition
by Andrey Schukin - "TABOO[N]".
The black rectangulars cover the
intimate parts of a naked body and then transform into the
narrow windows that frame the most "forbidden" parts,
to finally move onto the face, as if making it equal to the
body parts
which are "vetoed". |
The photographers
of the Soviet period are represented by Boris Ignatovitch, Yakov
Khalip, Emmanuil Evzerikhin, Naum Granovsky,
Lev Borodulin.
The photographs can be purchased from the gallery's collection.
Address: Krymsky Val (Tretyakov Gallery modern building), #10,
room A51, Tel.: (095) 238-7753, Internet: info@lumiere.ru
259 Flat.
Address: 1st Tverskaya Yamskaya street, #22 3rd floor. tel
251-3734. Area: Tverskaya (center north), metro Mayakovskaya
(green). Open: tue-sat 11.00-20.00
Rigina Gallery.
The
main idea is to show art that shocks at first and then gives esthetic
pleasure, so this gallery is famous for its' shocking performances.
It's here where Kulik milked a dog, and where gynecological books
were read in detail to the audience.
Address: 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya
street, #22, tel. 250-8571. Area: Tverskaya (center north),
metro Mayakovskaya (green), Belorusskaya (green). Map: Tverskaya,
square B2, object (*) #9. Open: tue-sat 12.00-20.00
L Gallery. Hosts exhibitions by various Russian and international
artists.
Address: Oktyabrskaya street #26, tel. 289-2491. Area:
Tverskaya, metro Mendeleevskaya (grey). Open: tue-sat
11.00-19.00
Fine Art Gallery. A
gallry with a large variety of exhibitions. From artists of the
60s to post-social art. They prefer to exhibit
only very quality works.
Address: Bolshaya Sadovaya, #3/10, tel. 251-7649. Area:
Tverskaya (center north) metro Mayakovskaya (green). Open:
mon-fri 11.00-18.00, sat 12.00-17.00
Spider & Mouse Gallery. Spider-
Igor Ioganson & Mouse-
Marina Perchikhina -- the founders of this gallery exhibit their
works
and works of
other artists.
Address: Leningradski prospekt #58, tel. 287-1360, Area:
north Moscow, metro Aeroport (green). Open: thu., sat
17.00-21.00
Aidan Gallery. The
owner of this gallery - Aidan Salakhova - collects art works
in
the style called "new Russian classicism".
Address: 1st Tverskaya Yamskaya street, #22 3rd floor.
tel 251-3734. Area: Tverskaya (center north), metro Mayakovskaya
(green). Open: tue-sat 11.00-20.00
Exhibition Halls in Moscow
Moscow
House of Photography. or
'Moscovski Dom Fotografi' is a great maze-like gallery dedicated
to photography.
It shows contemporary photos and organises photo competitions.
Address:
Ulitsa
Ostozhenka #18, tel. 202-0610
Area: Moscow
centrum, metro krapotkinskaya (brown). Open:
thu,sun
11.00-20.00 Price:10-30
R
Dom Gallery (Second
floor of the club Dom). Gallery which always has different
kinds of temporary exhibitions: installations, graphics, actual
art of artists from Mongolia and others. Each exhibition is not
for a long time, so there's always something new.
Address:
B.Ovchinnikovskiy
per. #24, tel.953-7236, 953-2230, Area: Zamoskvorechie, metro
Novokuznetskaya (green). Open: wen-sun 19.00-0.00 Internet:
http://www.dom.com.ru
Zverevsky Contemporary Art Center (Zverevski
tsentr sovremennogo iskusstva)
center of contemporary art.
A very good place if you want to see works, installations of Russian
contemporary artists.
Address:
Novoryazanskaya
ulitsa, 29 / 3. tel. 265-6166. Area: east Moscow, metro Baumanskaya
(blue). Open: 11.00-19.00. Entrance: free.
Manezh Gallery.
The biggest and the most popular exhibition hall in Moscow, that's
why there might be very different events: from exhibitions of
computer
technologies to large photo exhibitions. Probably, the most interesting
is the annual Art-Manezh - galleries collections. Besides, the
Photobienalle
of Moscow takes place here.
There's also a small hall upstairs, sometimes there are nice exhibitions.
Address:
Manezhnaya
ploschad' (Manezhnaya square) #1. Tel. 202-8976. Area: Kremlin,
metro Biblioteka imeni Lenina (red), Okhotny Ryad (red). Open:
11.00-20.00.
Maly Manezh (Small
Manezh). Sometimes hosts great temporary
exhibitions: contemporary art, photo, paintings.
Address:
Georgievski
pereulok (lane) #3. Tel. 292-4459. Area: Kuznetski Most or
Tverskaya, metro: Okhotny Ryad (red), Teatralnaya (green). Open:
tue-sun 11.00-20.00
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