belrus
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000
  • 1999
  • 1998
  • 1997
  • 1996
  • 1995
  • 1994
  • 1993
  • 1992
  • 1991
  • 1990
  • 1989
  • 1988
  • 1987
  • 1986
  • 1985
  • 1984
  • 1983
  • 1982
  • 1981
  • 1980
  • 1979
  • 1978
  • 1977
  • 1976
  • 1975
  • 1974
  • 1973
  • 1972
  • 1971
  • 1970
  • 1969
  • 1968
  • 1967
  • 1966
  • 1965
  • 1964
  • 1963
  • 1962
  • 1961
  • 1960
  • 1959
  • 1958
  • 1957
  • 1956
  • 1955
  • 1954
  • 1953
  • 1952
  • 1951
  • 1950
  • 1949
  • 1948
  • 1947
  • 1946
  • 1945
  • 1944
  • 1943
  • 1942
  • 1941
  • 1940
  • 1939
  • 1938
  • 1937
  • 1936
  • 1935
  • 1934
  • 1933
  • 1932
  • 1931
  • 1930
  • 1929
  • 1928
  • 1927
  • 1926
  • 1925
  • 1924
  • 1923
  • 1922
  • 1921
  • 1920
  • 1919
  • 1918
  • 1917
  • 1916
  • 1915
  • 1914
  • 1913
  • 1912
  • 1911
  • 1910
  • 1909
  • 1908
  • 1907
  • 1906
  • 1905
  • 1904
  • 1903
  • 1902
  • 1901
  • 1900
  • 1899
  • 1898
  • 1897
  • 1896
  • 1895
  • 1894
  • 1893
  • 1892
  • 1891
  • 1890
  • 1889
  • 1887
  • 1886
  • 1885
  • 1884
  • 1883
  • 1880
  • 1879
  • 1877
  • 1876
  • 1875
  • 1874
  • 1873
  • 1870
  • 1869
  • 1868
  • 1867
  • 1866
  • 1863
  • 1860
  • 1859
  • 1858
  • 1854
  • 1853
  • 1852
  • 1851
  • 1850
  • 1848
  • 1847
  • 1845
  • 1843
  • 1840
  • 1839
  • 1838
  • 1837
  • 1836
  • 1834
  • 1833
  • 1830
  • 1828
  • 1827
  • 1826
  • 1825
  • 1823
  • 1822
  • 1820
  • 1819
  • 1817
  • 1812
  • 1810
  • 1808
  • 1800
  • 1797
  • 1795
  • 1790
  • 1789
  • 1788
  • 1785
  • 1778
  • 1775
  • 1692
  • 1680
  • 1661
  • 0

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

1987

1986

1985

1984

1983

1982

1981

1980

1979

1978

1977

1976

1975

1974

1973

1972

1971

1970

1969

1968

1967

1966

1965

1964

1963

1962

1961

1960

1959

1958

1957

1956

1955

1954

1953

1952

1951

1950

1949

1948

1947

1946

1945

1944

1943

1942

1941

1940

1939

1938

1937

1936

1935

1934

1933

1932

1931

1930

1929

1928

1927

1926

1925

1924

1923

1922

1921

1920

1919

1918

1917

1916

1915

1914

1913

1912

1911

1910

1909

1908

1907

1906

1905

1904

1903

1902

1901

1900

1899

1898

1897

1896

1895

1894

1893

1892

1891

1890

1889

1887

1886

1885

1884

1883

1880

1879

1877

1876

1875

1874

1873

1870

1869

1868

1867

1866

1863

1860

1859

1858

1854

1853

1852

1851

1850

1848

1847

1845

1843

1840

1839

1838

1837

1836

1834

1833

1830

1828

1827

1826

1825

1823

1822

1820

1819

1817

1812

1810

1808

1800

1797

1795

1790

1789

1788

1785

1778

1775

1692

1680

1661

0

eng Translation Pending Review

Baptism by Fire

Jura Shust May 16 – June 9, 2017
ISSMAG Gallery, Moscow

Selected artworks

May 17 — Jun 10, 2017

"Baptism by Fire" Solo exhibition

Curated by Alexander Burenkov

ISSMAG Gallery (Moscow, Russia)

The idea of the exhibition was born as a result of the artist's study of the ethical meaning in the early Soviet culture of the symbolism of fire as one of the most important metaphorical tools of secularization and the way of purification from the past, embodied in drawings created by Shust with the help of activated charcoal. More often than not, conversations about the symbolism of fire are conducted in the context of the denial by the Bolsheviks of Christian traditions, especially Orthodox traditions, and even mockery of them. It is from this position that today, for example, the well-known fact of the creation of the first crematorium in Russia in Petrograd, 1919-1921, which seemed interesting to the artist, is estimated today. The storyline of historical events in many respects confirms the militantly atheistic meaning of all the actions of the Soviet authorities connected with the construction of this institution, however, the construction of a crematorium for its immediate initiators and executors was also an expression of the socio-cultural position of the "industrial man". The Decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On the removal of monuments erected in honor of tsars and their servants and the drafting of projects for the memory of the Russian socialist revolution" was an act of deliberately destroying historical memory, the initial stage of desacralization of the past as a whole and the cult of the dead in particular, because in most cases, the monuments were the materialization of the ritual of worshiping the deceased person's personality, that’s why the construction of crematoria in the early Soviet period was viewed as part of the plan for monumental propaganda. At the same time, many intellectuals in that historical period strongly gravitated towards the concepts of destruction of the traditional world order, a kind of sacral sacrilege, a demonstrative overthrow of the spiritual symbols of the past. On Russian soil, a new culture, a new aesthetics of expediency, was clearly ripening and emerging, in the system of which an important role was assigned to the process of destroying all the old, obsolete, not corresponding to the accelerated life rhythm of industrial society. This nascent culture extolled the symbolism of fire as a method of purification from the past.

The study of these historical collisions inspired the artist to create specially for the exhibition in ISSMAG a series of pictorial drawings made on the gallery walls with activated charcoal. The Soviet tradition combines in them with recognizable plots of many teachings and philosophies that swept the post-Soviet space in the late 20th century: from the symbol of the lotus, the embodiment of purity and enlightenment of the Buddha, and the image of a girl practicing Jala Neti, washing the nose, purifying exercise of yoga to improve breathing, described in Ayurveda, to the plot of spell of water for happiness from the Soviet TV screen “Yunost” ("Youth"), the baptism of a newborn, a glass of Soviet champagne and the image of a strict Moidodyr, hero of cult Soviet cartoons.

The central position at the exhibition occupied by three key works of the artist. The first one is Spirit Intoxication, installation of inverted wine glasses, in which alcohol is replaced by a cleaner of toxic green for washing dishes. The second one is Newton's Cenotaph ("Newton's Cenotaph"), an installation of broken circular mirrors placed in cardboard boxes from pizza, referring to the unrealized project of the French architect Étienne-Louis Boullée, who created drawings of an imaginary spherical gravestone monument to Newton, under which there should not be the ashes of the deceased. And the third one is the new work Baptism by Fire, created specifically for the exhibition.

Many works Jury Shust, in its form and shape, resemble, one way or another, monuments or tombstones. This impression was provided by Exo-Oblivion, one of the most memorable works of last year's 5 Moscow Biennale for Young Art (installation of motorcycle helmets, broken beer and wine bottle roses and eggs installed on pieces of building granite) dedicated to the decipherment of archetypes post-modern digital rights. The same shape of monument was in the original version of the installation Spirit Intoxication, exposed by the artist on the granite slab topped with a stepladder. This is how a “Daily Life Relics” looks surprisingly similar to the gravestone plates with carved graphemes of everyday objects, remaining in the shadow of everyday life. Drawing the projection of the future through the prism of the past, Shust sees in the toast, pronounced over a glass of champagne, and the New Year's tradition of burning papers with desires an archaic attempt to predict or program the future, and in turning to the mirror (the water's surface) - the practice of divination and the associated mystification.

The second floor of the gallery is dedicated to the display of the video by Jura Shust, Noosphere (2016-2017, 7:17 min) with documentation of the artist's performance performed in one of the underground historical shopping malls in the center of Brussels. The artist, who drinks water from a futuristic fountain in a deserted and abandoned fading shopping center in the center of the economic capital of Europe, clearly appeals to the myth of Narcissus, which is interesting to Shust in the interpretation of Marshall McLuhan, who used the myth to describe the work of technology and the transition from the "pre-mirror era" to the modern world of techno-capitalism. Like Narcissus, who fell into a stupor due to his acquaintance with parallel world, meeting with new technologies that become a continuation of our body makes our body die, to which the artist symbolically establishes a tombstone in the form of a video essay. The chosen reference to the theory of the noosphere of Vladimir Vernadsky, becomes, in this sense, not so much an optimistic anticipation of the transition from the biosphere to the noosphere as a result of reasonably controllable global planetary processes, but rather a personal attempt by an individual to find a way to escape from information intoxication and find his self-identification in the turbulence of the flows of the thinking ocean surrounding him.