After Berlin in 1997 for the first time he held a "Night of Museums", the epidemic began to spread rapidly around the world. Not the first time and it dominates in Vitebsk. This year, under her and I was tempted.
Visit all the activities are not lucky enough, but especially in the evening looked into the great hall of the Vitebsk Center of Contemporary Art, where he was to undergo a performance of one of the most controversial contemporary artists of the country - Konstantin Muzhev. It is clear that there is no "supremacist progress" in the walls of an art gallery decent expressive Minsk experimenter to arrange one would not allow, so it was interesting to find out what was supposed to surprise this time, not this kind of sophisticated art of Vitebsk audience follower of Josef Basie and Oleg Kulik.
Frankly, I not surprised! Although generous local stars, consisting mainly of young people in the arts way affiliated with, reacted to the performance quite friendly. The performance consisted of a demonstration of pre-assembled video sequence, which includes TV news snippets taken from known world media. All of them relate to the topic of refugees and migrants, who one way or another come to Europe.
On a white screen placed in the hall, the film was shown, and made it three holes Konstantin Muzhev filled his head and hands. The result was a sort of crucified on the screen like a bearded man in a white shirt, trimmed close to the Belarusian ornament. His face was smeared with black paint, which, apparently, was to witness a variety of continental presence in the ranks of the new European migrants.
Participation in the performance received and director of the Center for Contemporary Art Andrey confessor. An official from the art and the artist at the same time, he briefly tried to wash the face blackened, for ascertaining certain Muzhev’s ideas. Face wash failed. But many have understood that his efforts symbolized whether the entire Western way of life, or of European bureaucracy that tries to accommodate black workers, and not only them, there are existing standards of conduct and life.
The method of presentation footage can be noted as aggressive. The same feature is selected and music, impregnated seems cognitive national motifs, which are suppressed by some common cacophony manner of execution. TV footage installed in such a way that it seems as if all the troubles of refugees and migrants guilty of Americans and the Pentagon, military action in the territory of other states compel people to leave their city and country. Do not just come and footage captured on the Maidan and in the zone of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. So many people through various tragic and heroic events are forced to leave their homes inhabited, but can accept their fate and behavior only by the victims of circumstances? And you are not responsible for their indifference and inexperience of many of them for the events that unfold in their own countries?
As for me, it is demonstrated by the film gives one obvious feature: it is made by man or by people who perceive reality only from the TV screen, without any contemplation of experience in the subject. In addition, it is clear that the creators do not look for the causes and the responses they have been formulated in advance, and have chosen for them arguments and facts. And no wonder, since otherwise the local ideological censors would never let Constantine Muzhev Vitebsk to unsophisticated audience.
After demonstrating untypical for Muzhev performance, he said a few words to the assembled audience: "I think that everyone knew what was going on - it is about refugees, migrants once they get to Europe. They think that they are in a fairy tale, and then start the nuances. A lot of nuances. People in Africa are expected to be good to live and come to the fact that they begin to steal. Many do not survive. Among the migrants and refugees from the Middle East. Europeans are beginning to wash off the paint with you, making you into a white, remove paint and rolls back your hands, making fingerprints. The film is about this. I was very touched raised a problem. "
After his speech, the artist went to wash the black makeup from the face, and went in a completely different form, in order to quickly gather the props involved present and leave alone with graphic works by Anton Lamaev, the presentation of which took place an hour earlier. The artist from the city on the Neva River at the opening of the exhibition was not present. Renowned illustrator brought to Vitebsk his work to the works of Isaac Babel "Red Cavalry" and "Odessa Stories." It was possible to purchase books by famous authors of fairy tales with its chic and sturdy illustrations for children, where his creativity emerged quite clearly.
"Museum Night" in Vitebsk ended "Film-night in VCMA".
S. Horki, dyjalog.info
