Erarta Museum presented an exhibition by the film actress and photographer Anna Tsvetkova
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Black and white portraits of Yegor Konchalovsky, Sergey Bezrukov, Alexander Ustyugov, and other Russian cultural luminaries
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Picture stories from film shoots and evocative art photographs
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A series of images inspired by Alexey Balabanov’s, Karen Shakhnazarov’s, and Eldar Ryazanov’s films
Anna Tsvetkova is a film actress and a photographer. Both of these creative practices have an obvious bearing on the artist’s life, filling it with encounters with the most extraordinary and colourful people – actors, directors, and other filmmaking professionals. Moreover, besides having to be constantly on the road physically, Anna’s acting career gives her the advantage of imaginary travel through time and space. The film set world augments the real one, creating an array of visual impressions and offering unique photo opportunities.
The City of N exhibition features black and white pictures of Yegor Konchalovsky, Sergey Bezrukov, Grigory Nekrasov, Alexander Ustyugov, and other Russian cultural luminaries. These are not only portraits and picture stories from film shoots, but also evocative fine art photographs. Some of the images are part of The City of N, a collaboration with St. Petersburg based actors that gave its name to the exhibition. According to the artist, this project ‘conveys a certain absurdity of the everyday life, with “loneliness in a crowd” being its recurring subject.’
The City of N project was inspired by films: Alexey Balabanov’s Happy Days, Karen Shakhnazarov’s Zero City, and Promised Heaven by Eldar Ryazanov. Film and theatre actress Victoria Maslova describes it thus: ‘There is more to this project than just imagery. It offers a glimpse into another time, a chance to be anyone in that proverbial crowd, to recognise someone else’s features deep inside your own self. This is a generous gift for any actor. The City of N presents endless opportunities from all imaginable times.’
The core of the exhibition is comprised of portraits. These range from the photographer’s vision of the filmmaking process to the creative self-reinvention during screen tests or acting portfolio shoots. The artist believes that black and white photography is the perfect medium that most accurately imparts texture, time, and mood.
