Pavel Pepperstein
07 Feb - 11 Apr 2009
"Either -Or"
Opening Reception: 6 February 7 - 9 pm
Pavel Pepperstein, born in Moscow 1966, has finished his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in 1987. Working as visual artist, writer and art theorist, he founded together with Sergeji Anufriev and Juri Leiderman the Inspection Medical Hermeneutics in 1987 and published various theoretical and literary texts (e.g. The Mythogenic Love of Castes, 1999) and has become one of the most important artists of the younger generation of Moscow Conceptualists. His work has been shown in numerous solo- and group exhibitions and he has been invited to the 53rd Venice Biennale this year. After his participation in the group exhibition "Spivaks Generation" in 2006, Kewenig Galerie shows now a new series of paintings called 'Either - Or'.
In his art-theoretical writings Pavel Pepperstein deals over and over again with the peculiarities of contemporary art which are posing frequently questions on Russian identity especially since the post-Sowjet era. With his new series of paintings Pavel Pepperstein proclaims the creation of a new representative Russian style. In doing so he combines Suprematism with elements of Pop Art, placing them next to typical Russian symbols or text fragments which are reflexions on topical events of the day: Obama-Hope stands next to a sinking earth, Matrjoschkas fall in the abyss, and a gigantic, American-flagged whale devours the Black Square of Malevich – pictures which shall illustrate the 'love-struggle' between Russia and the Western world.
Especially the placard-like colourfull way of painting is ostensible, in which usually not unified symbols from Eastern as also from Western world are interacting. Some paintings remind by their emblematic character of advertising boards or political posters. In his especially for this exhibition formulated manifest Pepperstein explains the necessity of a new national style which should overcome the 'hidden hostility' of Russia against the dominating influences of the Western world. The broad impact should be achieved by decorative applications on public buildings like airports, railway stations or ministries. In his manifest Pepperstein invites other artists to support this project to formulate a recognizable artistic language for the future of Russia.
For further information, images or appointments please contact us by e-mail: info@kewenig.com, or by phone 0049-221-964 9050. The opening hours are monday – friday 10 a.m – 6 p.m. and saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
National Suprematism as the Project of a New Representative Style
for Russia
At this exhibition I would like to propose to the Russian public and the government a common style of external representation which could serve as an identification sign of Russia in the international context. It is not their creative ambitions that make artists propose projects of that sort sometimes. Artists are more than anybody else aware that Russia really needs a common style of external representation, while its absence has negative effect on the status of our country, bringing undesirable consequences both in the political, and in the economic spheres.
Today Russia tries to get out of the “destruction zone” and to acquire an independent voice in the international arena. It is not enough to skillfully defend its interests for it, an idea is necessary here, an idea that is different from those proposed by other countries or the global system, and an articulate language to express that idea. And this language is not to be recognized as an archaic or provincial one, it is to be relevant to the global cultural situation and to retain its independence at the same time.
Russia already has a formal language of this kind. It is Suprematism. This language is interpreted as “Russian” everywhere in the world, and this makes it valuable on the “planetary” scale. Suprematism was invented long ago, but it is not marked as a “retro” phenomenon for it still directly refers to the world of the future.
The creation of a new representative style for Russia on the basis of Suprematist achievements (I would like to remind you that in various historical periods Russian Classicism, à la Russe style of the Alexander III period, Russian Art Nouveau, Constructivism, Socialist Realism, 1960s Utopianism performed the functions of this style) would make a clear statement that we have both an idea of our own unique past, and the idea of our own future which is not dissolved in the common future of mankind.
The National Suprematism project is still in an embryonic state, at a research stage. Works presented at this exhibition reflect this process of research. I wanted to demonstrate the aesthetic potential of the new style in the reflection of urgent political circumstances: hopes invested in Obama, new Russia’s ambitions, the project of fighting American cultural influence (in the generalized form of conventional “pop-art” here).
I like American pop culture (including pop-art and Warhol), so I believe that this culture whose influence spreads all over the world is a wonderful opponent. It is a challenge worth to face. Russia should not only counter this influence, not only “retain itself for itself”, it should also “retain itself for others”, that is, to restructure its mission and (including other achievements) offer the world a project of an alternative to the American cultural influence. Russia should offer a project which ideally would be no less attractive to other nations than the “American version” (which doubtlessly has its enticing and attractive qualities).
The fight against “America” in the planned National Suprematism project presupposes love to the opponent, not hate. It is a project of “love struggle” which is useful to both sides, maintaining healthy tonicity in them without any traumatic effect. This “love struggle” is more preferable than submission to the American influence permeated with hidden hostility to the dominating culture. It is better to love and struggle than to submit and hate.
I don’t think I was able to offer a solution for every issue of the new style, even in the most abstract form, like, for instance, the necessary attractiveness of National Suprematism beyond Russian borders. To produce this effect I decided to amplify the aesthetics of Suprematism with the elements of Russian Art Nouveau, turning to the experience of Dyagilev’s La Saison Russe in Paris of the early 20th century. Russian Art Nouveau was able to produce the effect of an unforgettable celebration then, and western viewers still expect “something of that kind” from Russian culture. We shouldn’t turn a deaf ear to those expectations. So the austerity and asceticism of Suprematism should be amplified with the aura of the Russian celebration, unrestrained joy and merrymaking in the National Suprematism – with the joy that is there, no matter what.
Let me remind you of the fate of matryoshka, the Russian nested doll. In the early 20th century Russia suffered a defeat in the Russian-Japanese war, but got a trophy in exchange – the Japanese daruma nested doll which was transformed into a flourishing Russian souvenir, a symbol of tribal infinity.
And one more remark about the list of the formal elements of National Suprematism. I found it necessary to introduce another element in it. It is a spiral, or a “shell”. This gives the new style a foundation that was shared by Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau – a whorl. It is a biological elementand an ecological matrix removing the opposition between the soil and the Cosmos. National Suprematism must be ecologically clean, it should respectfully broadcast the signals of the biosphere without cutting through it.
I hope that National Suprematism will be an ideal style for the decoration of objects and events associated with the external representation of Russia, such as airports, railway stations, transport nodes, embassies, trade missions, offices of Russian airlines and commercial companies, forums and festivals of Russian culture, government agencies and ministries (Foreign Affairs Ministry, first and foremost) and private houses. The style is planned to be a celebration, and nobody could interfere with our dreaming of the day when “the sun shines down on our street”. I would be happy if other artists also take part in the design of this style, correcting mistakes and slips of my project.
Pavel Pepperstein
October – November, 2008
Opening Reception: 6 February 7 - 9 pm
Pavel Pepperstein, born in Moscow 1966, has finished his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in 1987. Working as visual artist, writer and art theorist, he founded together with Sergeji Anufriev and Juri Leiderman the Inspection Medical Hermeneutics in 1987 and published various theoretical and literary texts (e.g. The Mythogenic Love of Castes, 1999) and has become one of the most important artists of the younger generation of Moscow Conceptualists. His work has been shown in numerous solo- and group exhibitions and he has been invited to the 53rd Venice Biennale this year. After his participation in the group exhibition "Spivaks Generation" in 2006, Kewenig Galerie shows now a new series of paintings called 'Either - Or'.
In his art-theoretical writings Pavel Pepperstein deals over and over again with the peculiarities of contemporary art which are posing frequently questions on Russian identity especially since the post-Sowjet era. With his new series of paintings Pavel Pepperstein proclaims the creation of a new representative Russian style. In doing so he combines Suprematism with elements of Pop Art, placing them next to typical Russian symbols or text fragments which are reflexions on topical events of the day: Obama-Hope stands next to a sinking earth, Matrjoschkas fall in the abyss, and a gigantic, American-flagged whale devours the Black Square of Malevich – pictures which shall illustrate the 'love-struggle' between Russia and the Western world.
Especially the placard-like colourfull way of painting is ostensible, in which usually not unified symbols from Eastern as also from Western world are interacting. Some paintings remind by their emblematic character of advertising boards or political posters. In his especially for this exhibition formulated manifest Pepperstein explains the necessity of a new national style which should overcome the 'hidden hostility' of Russia against the dominating influences of the Western world. The broad impact should be achieved by decorative applications on public buildings like airports, railway stations or ministries. In his manifest Pepperstein invites other artists to support this project to formulate a recognizable artistic language for the future of Russia.
For further information, images or appointments please contact us by e-mail: info@kewenig.com, or by phone 0049-221-964 9050. The opening hours are monday – friday 10 a.m – 6 p.m. and saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
National Suprematism as the Project of a New Representative Style
for Russia
At this exhibition I would like to propose to the Russian public and the government a common style of external representation which could serve as an identification sign of Russia in the international context. It is not their creative ambitions that make artists propose projects of that sort sometimes. Artists are more than anybody else aware that Russia really needs a common style of external representation, while its absence has negative effect on the status of our country, bringing undesirable consequences both in the political, and in the economic spheres.
Today Russia tries to get out of the “destruction zone” and to acquire an independent voice in the international arena. It is not enough to skillfully defend its interests for it, an idea is necessary here, an idea that is different from those proposed by other countries or the global system, and an articulate language to express that idea. And this language is not to be recognized as an archaic or provincial one, it is to be relevant to the global cultural situation and to retain its independence at the same time.
Russia already has a formal language of this kind. It is Suprematism. This language is interpreted as “Russian” everywhere in the world, and this makes it valuable on the “planetary” scale. Suprematism was invented long ago, but it is not marked as a “retro” phenomenon for it still directly refers to the world of the future.
The creation of a new representative style for Russia on the basis of Suprematist achievements (I would like to remind you that in various historical periods Russian Classicism, à la Russe style of the Alexander III period, Russian Art Nouveau, Constructivism, Socialist Realism, 1960s Utopianism performed the functions of this style) would make a clear statement that we have both an idea of our own unique past, and the idea of our own future which is not dissolved in the common future of mankind.
The National Suprematism project is still in an embryonic state, at a research stage. Works presented at this exhibition reflect this process of research. I wanted to demonstrate the aesthetic potential of the new style in the reflection of urgent political circumstances: hopes invested in Obama, new Russia’s ambitions, the project of fighting American cultural influence (in the generalized form of conventional “pop-art” here).
I like American pop culture (including pop-art and Warhol), so I believe that this culture whose influence spreads all over the world is a wonderful opponent. It is a challenge worth to face. Russia should not only counter this influence, not only “retain itself for itself”, it should also “retain itself for others”, that is, to restructure its mission and (including other achievements) offer the world a project of an alternative to the American cultural influence. Russia should offer a project which ideally would be no less attractive to other nations than the “American version” (which doubtlessly has its enticing and attractive qualities).
The fight against “America” in the planned National Suprematism project presupposes love to the opponent, not hate. It is a project of “love struggle” which is useful to both sides, maintaining healthy tonicity in them without any traumatic effect. This “love struggle” is more preferable than submission to the American influence permeated with hidden hostility to the dominating culture. It is better to love and struggle than to submit and hate.
I don’t think I was able to offer a solution for every issue of the new style, even in the most abstract form, like, for instance, the necessary attractiveness of National Suprematism beyond Russian borders. To produce this effect I decided to amplify the aesthetics of Suprematism with the elements of Russian Art Nouveau, turning to the experience of Dyagilev’s La Saison Russe in Paris of the early 20th century. Russian Art Nouveau was able to produce the effect of an unforgettable celebration then, and western viewers still expect “something of that kind” from Russian culture. We shouldn’t turn a deaf ear to those expectations. So the austerity and asceticism of Suprematism should be amplified with the aura of the Russian celebration, unrestrained joy and merrymaking in the National Suprematism – with the joy that is there, no matter what.
Let me remind you of the fate of matryoshka, the Russian nested doll. In the early 20th century Russia suffered a defeat in the Russian-Japanese war, but got a trophy in exchange – the Japanese daruma nested doll which was transformed into a flourishing Russian souvenir, a symbol of tribal infinity.
And one more remark about the list of the formal elements of National Suprematism. I found it necessary to introduce another element in it. It is a spiral, or a “shell”. This gives the new style a foundation that was shared by Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau – a whorl. It is a biological elementand an ecological matrix removing the opposition between the soil and the Cosmos. National Suprematism must be ecologically clean, it should respectfully broadcast the signals of the biosphere without cutting through it.
I hope that National Suprematism will be an ideal style for the decoration of objects and events associated with the external representation of Russia, such as airports, railway stations, transport nodes, embassies, trade missions, offices of Russian airlines and commercial companies, forums and festivals of Russian culture, government agencies and ministries (Foreign Affairs Ministry, first and foremost) and private houses. The style is planned to be a celebration, and nobody could interfere with our dreaming of the day when “the sun shines down on our street”. I would be happy if other artists also take part in the design of this style, correcting mistakes and slips of my project.
Pavel Pepperstein
October – November, 2008