GARAGE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART PRESENTS BELYAEVO QUEST. THE WAYS OF MOSCOW CONCEPTUALISM

7/12/14 / 10/26/14

Belyaevo Quest. The Ways of Moscow Conceptualism
Produced with grant support from the Department of Culture, city of Moscow

Organized by the Belyaevo Gallery
In collaboration with the Dmitry Prigov Foundation and Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

Belyaevo Quest. The Ways of Moscow Conceptualism is one of 22 winning projects to be implemented as part of a project by Moscow’s Department of Culture to support various initiatives aimed at advancing contemporary urban culture and promoting an image of Moscow as a modern city offering vast opportunities for creative and professional fulfillment.

Scheduled for May through October 2014, Belyaevo Quest. The Ways of Moscow Conceptualism involves a number of interactive activities for cultural education, including on-foot and cycling tours following the paths of Moscow Conceptualist Dmitry Prigov (in English and Russian), adventure quests, the educational outdoor workshops “How to Become a Contemporary Artist” and “How to Become a Famous Artist” supervised by prominent conceptualists. The program also features a competition for public art and text-based graffiti. The winners will have their works exhibited in the courtyard spaces and facades of the Belyaevo district.

Launched in cooperation with the Dmitry Prigov Foundation and Garage Museum of Contemporary Culture, the program aims to develop a new, culturally significant concept for the Belyaevo microdistrict, realizing the neighborhood’s full potential as part of a general effort to preserve the non-material cultural heritage of Moscow.

The project is based on Belyaevo Forever, a book by Polish architect Kuba Snopek.

Additional Information

The Southwestern microdistrict of Belyaevo is, from an architectural standpoint, indistinguishable from any other residential area located on the outskirts of Moscow. Initially conceived by distinguished Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky, Belyaevo’s landscape has transformed into that of a typical commuter town thanks to the generic tower-block housing of recent years. It remains a generic, sprawling, manufactured land, lacking architectural distinction.

Yet what sets Belyaevo apart from the dreary outskirt districts of Moscow is its rich non-material heritage, for the significant cultural events that transpired here would contribute to the emergence of one of the key movements in late 20th-century Russian art – Moscow Conceptualism. Held in Belyaevo on September 15, 1974, the “Bulldozer Exhibition” finally enabled artists banned in the Soviet Union to step out of the shadows and showcase their works. Belyaevo was for many years home to poet and artist Dmitry Prigov, one of Moscow Conceptualism’s most remarkable exponents. Referring to Belyaevo as his “Duchy,” and to himself as “The Duke of Belyaevo,” Prigov would go for long walks around his neighborhood, accompanied by Muscovites and guests of the city alike.

Half a century has passed since the planning and construction of Belyaevo. During this period the microdistrict has been saturated with its own historical events and personalities, and, subsequently, with a sense of nostalgia and an urge to preserve its cultural heritage. To do so, it is imperative to support and fuel the broader public’s interest in the neighborhood’s history and culture. And it seems that now is the perfect moment to recall the significance of Belyaevo’s history. The architecture of late Modernism (whose presence continues to define the district’s landscape) and the Moscow Conceptualist movement are gaining widespread popularity and acknowledgement both within Moscow and abroad. Several years ago, Prigov’s collection was acquired by the State Hermitage Museum; a year later, his works were exhibited at the Venice Biennale; May 2014 marked the opening of two Moscow-based exhibitions dedicated to the artist’s practice: Dmitry Prigov. From the Rennaissance to Conceptualism and beyond at the Tretyakov Gallery, and Dmitry Prigov – Duke of Belyaevo. Genius loci at the Belyaevo Gallery. In September, the Belyaevo Gallery is presenting a large-scale project in collaboration with the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the “Bulldozer Exhibition.”

http://garageccc.com/en/event/553