field door pig swamp
by Vika Begalskaya and Alexander Vilkin
by Vika Begalskaya and Alexander Vilkin
A new project by the Moscow duet of artists Begalskaya and Vilkin was prepared specially for 9B Gallery. It consists of more than ten paintings and a number of graphic sheets - quite traditional techniques for authors who are known primarily for their avant-garde works, from an innovative type of objects to complex theatrical performances. But in their paintings and drawings, the authors continue to remain faithful to the ideas of experiment: their approach to painting can be called a search for new principles of mastery, and the content is distinguished by subtle irony, especially in subjects that refer to the frivolous aesthetics of the Baroque and, in general, to the pre-modern times
"field door pig swamp" is an elegiac name that reveals the huge poetic resource of Begalskaya and Vilkin's art, which is extremely important for Russian art. In their metaphorical world seemingly incompatible concepts are mixed. But in the arrangement and interaction of these concepts, a certain logic is read. It lies in the excitement for the fate of living things: artists in their works and statements offer ideas implying the equality of all complex organisms. This fully coincides with the efforts of environmental forces and the latest findings of scientists from various fields: at the current stage of development, humanity needs to correlate itself and its actions with the entire biological set of our planet. The "door" of Begalskaya and Vilkin is equally open for humans and animals.
The paintings of Begalskaya and Vilkin are fresh, today's painting: light - because light and deliberately refined, but complex - because the viewer will need to make a lot of effort to unravel the motives. But artists turn everything that touches their brush or pencil into a phenomenon of beauty, inviting us to believe that the horizons of beauty themselves can be expanded, and we owe the idea of it, first of all, to the complex work of our consciousness, and not to objective criteria. ... In this respect, Begalskaya and Vilkin are truly democratic, open and conscious artists, linking many ideas and things of our world into a tight and cheerful tangle of images.
Curator Sergey Popov
INFO:
Vika Begalskaya (born in Kharkov, Ukrainian SSR). Begalskaya has been living in Moscow since 2001. In the early 2000s, Begalskaya mainly worked with video, since 2004 she has also been engaged in painting. Founder of the art platform "Feminist Cuisine" (2013), founder (together with A. Vilkin) and member of the creative union "Tereza" (2014). Author of a number of projects, including five solo exhibitions in the pop / off / art gallery, two of which were jointly with Alexander Vilkin.
Alexander Vilkin (born 1982, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region). Graduated from the Chelyabinsk Art School (2003), the North-West Institute of Printing and Book Graphics, St. Petersburg (2005), the Baza Institute, Moscow (2014). From 2005 to 2014 he lived in St. Petersburg, since 2014 he has been living in Moscow. Member of the "Parasite" association, St. Petersburg (since 2006), founder of the "Prosthesis" art group (together with I. Mezheritsky, G. Yushchenko) (2006-2009), founder (together with V. Begalskaya) and participant of the creative " Tereza "(2014).
Begalskaya and Vilkin have been working together since 2014. In 2015, they were nominated for the State Prize in the field of contemporary art "Innovation" as part of the Tereza group. Collaborative works of artists are in the MKHA Museum (Antwerp, Belgium), in a number of funds and private collections.
pop / off / art gallery. Founded in 2004 in Moscow by art critic Sergei Popov, it represents Russian and international authors, focusing on artists from the post-Soviet space, Eastern and Central Europe. It is included in the top 5 Russian galleries (according to Forbes) and in the top 500 galleries in the world (according to Blouin Artinfo). Takes part in the largest contemporary art fairs in Europe. The gallery has organized several dozen museum projects in Russia. Located on the territory of the Center for Contemporary Art "Winzavod", Moscow.
PRESS:
Photos by GEO.PRO →
"field door pig swamp" is an elegiac name that reveals the huge poetic resource of Begalskaya and Vilkin's art, which is extremely important for Russian art. In their metaphorical world seemingly incompatible concepts are mixed. But in the arrangement and interaction of these concepts, a certain logic is read. It lies in the excitement for the fate of living things: artists in their works and statements offer ideas implying the equality of all complex organisms. This fully coincides with the efforts of environmental forces and the latest findings of scientists from various fields: at the current stage of development, humanity needs to correlate itself and its actions with the entire biological set of our planet. The "door" of Begalskaya and Vilkin is equally open for humans and animals.
The paintings of Begalskaya and Vilkin are fresh, today's painting: light - because light and deliberately refined, but complex - because the viewer will need to make a lot of effort to unravel the motives. But artists turn everything that touches their brush or pencil into a phenomenon of beauty, inviting us to believe that the horizons of beauty themselves can be expanded, and we owe the idea of it, first of all, to the complex work of our consciousness, and not to objective criteria. ... In this respect, Begalskaya and Vilkin are truly democratic, open and conscious artists, linking many ideas and things of our world into a tight and cheerful tangle of images.
Curator Sergey Popov
INFO:
Vika Begalskaya (born in Kharkov, Ukrainian SSR). Begalskaya has been living in Moscow since 2001. In the early 2000s, Begalskaya mainly worked with video, since 2004 she has also been engaged in painting. Founder of the art platform "Feminist Cuisine" (2013), founder (together with A. Vilkin) and member of the creative union "Tereza" (2014). Author of a number of projects, including five solo exhibitions in the pop / off / art gallery, two of which were jointly with Alexander Vilkin.
Alexander Vilkin (born 1982, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region). Graduated from the Chelyabinsk Art School (2003), the North-West Institute of Printing and Book Graphics, St. Petersburg (2005), the Baza Institute, Moscow (2014). From 2005 to 2014 he lived in St. Petersburg, since 2014 he has been living in Moscow. Member of the "Parasite" association, St. Petersburg (since 2006), founder of the "Prosthesis" art group (together with I. Mezheritsky, G. Yushchenko) (2006-2009), founder (together with V. Begalskaya) and participant of the creative " Tereza "(2014).
Begalskaya and Vilkin have been working together since 2014. In 2015, they were nominated for the State Prize in the field of contemporary art "Innovation" as part of the Tereza group. Collaborative works of artists are in the MKHA Museum (Antwerp, Belgium), in a number of funds and private collections.
pop / off / art gallery. Founded in 2004 in Moscow by art critic Sergei Popov, it represents Russian and international authors, focusing on artists from the post-Soviet space, Eastern and Central Europe. It is included in the top 5 Russian galleries (according to Forbes) and in the top 500 galleries in the world (according to Blouin Artinfo). Takes part in the largest contemporary art fairs in Europe. The gallery has organized several dozen museum projects in Russia. Located on the territory of the Center for Contemporary Art "Winzavod", Moscow.
PRESS:
Photos by GEO.PRO →
