Private collection to make museums envy shown in Moscow

Published 21 February, 2007, 09:36

The “Movement, Evolution and Art” exhibition in Moscow gives an overview of Soviet and Russian art from year the1916 to the present day. More than 500 artworks collected by Vladimir and Ekaterina Semenikhins are now on display.

First thing one can see entering the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, where the exhibition takes place, is a cosmonaut floating under the ceiling – a work by prominent artist Oleg Kulik. Created in 2003, it was widely seen by the public but  forgotten. This can be said about most of the things on display.

“No-one needed these painters when we started our collection and their works cost nothing. And now they are considered to be classics,” says Vladimir Semenikhin.

The beginning of the exposition is represented by works of the1920s. The 1930s are represented by casual sportsmen created by Aleksandr Samokhvalov. They are followed by sculptures presenting ‘soc-art’ – short for socialist art – a style which emerged as an ironic response to the pompous socialist realism trend.

The 60s and 70s are represented by a variety of styles from non-conformist works to kinetic sculptures. And the last part of the exposition is the 1990s with video installations by the controversial Sinie Nosi – Blue Noses – art group, and huge paintings.

Critics are excited. Previously, collections just like this one have become the bases for the world's best modern art museum, like Guggenheim's, for example.

“Here we deal with a collection at a museum's level. The future of Russian museums is strongly connected with new private collections,” claims Iosif Bakshteyn, an art critic.

Giving a chance to overview the whole history of Russian modern art, this exhibition is a great introduction into this world for amateurs as well as a good review for professionals.

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