Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art presented a group exhibition by St. Petersburg based artists celebrating one of the city’s most iconic boroughs – Vasilievsky Island
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A new perspective on the area that has been the cradle of art for more than 300 years
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A project bringing together more than 20 artists whose life and creative practice are closely linked to the Island
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A stylistically diverse show featuring almost 30 artworks in various genres
The Island of Artists focuses neither on history (even though historical references are here aplenty) nor on scenic views (albeit cityscapes are naturally present, too), but first and foremost on the artistic expression. The exhibition features almost 30 works by 22 artists whose life and art are closely linked to Vasilievsky Island – one of the most iconic boroughs of St. Petersburg. A place of unique ambience and drawing power, the area also enjoys a special cultural status: for more than 300 years, it has been the cradle of fine art.
It was on this island, comparable to Venice in terms of population, that the cultural life of the erstwhile Russian capital began to thrive already in the days of Peter the Great. This was the location of Russia’s first museum, the Kunstkamera, founded in 1714, and the Academy of Arts, established during Catherine the Great’s reign. Despite having gradually lost its position as the country’s prime spot of artistic activity and notwithstanding the dramatic events of the 20th century, it has remained an island of artists: creative practices, whether endorsed by the authorities or not, never ceased here.
Vasilievsky Island became the preferred subject (and, for some, place of residence) of the St. Petersburg Romantic Expressionists: desperately enamoured of colour, they became collectively known as the Desperate Painters. This group of Anatoly Zaslavsky’s friends and students that had teamed up around their informal leader included Robert Lotosh, Aron Zinshtein, Alla Davydova, Yulia Sopina, Veronika Leontyeva, Ilya Ovsyannikov, and Daniil Troyanov. In the exhibition space, their creations can be seen alongside works by Nikolai Sazhin, Alexander Kosenkov, Vladimir Shinkaryov, Yuri Gusev, and a dozen other no less remarkable artists.
This exhibition was conceived as a close encounter with the St. Petersburg based artists linked to Vasilievsky Island with visible and invisible threads. Despite their stylistic diversity, every one of them is a distinct creative world, while all of them serve to prove that Vasilievsky is indeed a true island of artists.
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