Artists all around : Nizhny Novgorod
In continuation of our previous article, we are happy to bring to light the faces of the Nizhny Novgorod art scene in more details. As members of "Nizhny Novgorod street art", they are all firmly rooted in the Russian art community for the unique features of their work in the urban space. A significant one is their artworks' interaction with the historical cultural heritage of the city, often for the purpose of architectural protection by drawing public attention through art. The artists get to know the inhabitants of a building, have a tea party and, in collaboration with them, come up with a work that is connected with their story. Instead of smooth concrete walls, they often create artworks made of complex surfaces with different textures, such as compositions of branches on the walls of wooden buildings or full-fledged paintings installed in the particular "frames" of that building below.
As a result of the development of Nizhny Novgorod street art, local tourism started to grow - both excursions and walks with artists as the independent search for newly created works became fashionable. In 2014, Artem Filatov made an interactive map of Nizhny Novgorod street art on Google Maps. Go look for them with the hashtag #streetartnn.
So meet seven artists from Nizhny Novgorod.
Artem Filatov
Which of your 5 artworks describe you best?
What influences you the most?
In my practice, I do a lot of studying to make an art piece. It could be about local history, or about the city's development problems and cultural heritage in case of a public art project. At the same time, I'm interested in anthropology, especially the studies on topics related to death. Every project comes as a result of a long research process.
What would you like to change in the world and/or in Art world in particular?
To change the world for the better is a banality in its core. Even if I had a chance to change the past I would not do anything.
Do you feel part of a global community of artists ?
Art is international, it links you to anyone in the world.
Do you feel part of a creative tradition in NN ?
The fine arts history in Nizhny Novgorod doesn't have direct connections with the contemporary art scene. But at the same time, young artists are looking back at old crafts: wood carving, wooden architecture, hand labor such as fishing and tailoring. There was an exhibition about the links between old masters and street artists called “Fresh layer” back in 2017, curated by Anna Nistratova. Some artists are directly studying the history of the region, while some are just focusing on the atmosphere of the city and its heritage.
What is Art for you?
Out of all the benefits that art is bringing to the world, for me, its unique ability to create social connections is the main one. Unlike religion and politics, it seems to be based on the understanding that the “other things” have the right to remain “different,” while staying within social forms. Art becomes a kind of plasticine, taking one form or another at the necessary moment. Therefore, people who, for some reason, might never have met, meet on the field of art. Art should be emptiness, absorbing everything with its immeasurable body.
Andrey Olenev
Which of your 5 artworks describe you best?
What influences you the most?
The visual arts of the Northern Renaissance: Jan van Eyck, Albrecht Durer, Hieronymus Bosch, Peter Bruegel, etc.
What would you like to change in the world and/or in Art world in particular?
I don’t want anything to change on purpose in the world, I am for the natural course of events. Speaking about the art market, I would like to increase the number of interested people in the field of art and expand the circle of collectors in the regions of Russia.
Do you feel part of a global community of artists ?
It's hard to say if there is a global art community in Russia. Rather, there are circles separated from each other, some are on the periphery, but somehow connected by the unique theme of Russian identity.
What is Art for you?
For me, it is the realm of spiritual and intellectual entertainment.
Vladimir Chernishev
Which of your 5 artworks describe you best?
I work in different formats and medias, mainly installations, graphics and studio works made of wood. Combinations from different medias make it possible to make the statement voluminous, so I would single out 5 works based on the genre principle. The link has a detailed description of the work and the signature.
What influences you the most?
It is difficult for me to elect one thing, one artist or even a group of authors or one theory, to which I hold on and cannot forget. I can say that cultural landscapes probably influence me the most. The environment in which the works are located or where they could never be but I still imagine them there. Sometimes such observations give rise to strong impulses that I try to keep in my memory.
What would you like to be changed in the world and/or in Art world in particular?
I would appreciate even a slight slowdown in the extinction of plant and animal species.
Do you feel part of a global community of artists ?
I can't say that I often think about belonging to the global art community. In general, I try to be careful with everything with the prefix "art".
What is Art for you?
For me, art is inextricably linked with the observation of reality. How and why it works is another matter.
Anton Morokov
Which of your 5 artworks describe you best?
What influences you the most?
On a small scale, it is what surrounds me and people around - my colleagues, with whom I share the Tikhaya studio, curators - Vasily Rogozin and Alisa Savitskaya. On a broader scale, it is mainly classical literature and authors such as: Jorge Luis Borges, Hermann Hesse and James Augustine Aloysius Joyce.
What would you like to change in the world and/or in Art world in particular?
The artistic world is a completely living organism that independently changes due to the surrounding circumstances. I would like to change the overall level of discernment, just so that these organic changes are not missed.
Do you feel part of a global community of artists ?
In fact, if there is a distance and a feeling of alienation from the general environment, it is quite illusory and can be destroyed thanks to one or two messages on the Internet.
What is Art for you?
If I'm not mistaken, Sergei Kuryokhin said: "Art is something very reverent." Behind this thrill, for me, hides a huge series of trial and error, internal and external obstacles through which the artist passes. Art is always something personal, it is work and the pursuit of lightness.
Yakov Khorev
What are the 5 artworks which describe you the most?
In my childhood, I drew only 3 images: a cucumber, a banana and a hammer.
A painting of a tiger under a big flower in a winter snowy field which participated in some federal exhibition when I was 5 or 6 years old.
My first painted canvas: a combo of abstract painting and a portrait of a dictator as a clown.
“Carpet cleaning” An image of a carpet on a spot where people wash their carpets. As they clean theirs they erase mine. (see photo below)
The medium of white paint in the streets of Nizhny Novgorod as a tool to clean the space.
What influences you the most?
At first it was the new opportunities for friendship and communication, then the ability to create a new language, now art is a tool to work with my favorite things (like peace, culture, nature, diversity, etc.)
What would you like to change in the world?
All is good but if I’d like everyone to realize what they truly like and then ask themselves “what do I do to participate and support?”
Do you feel part of a Russian community of artists ?
Since the quarantine, yes
What is Art for you?
A natural ingredient to keep being really open-minded and balanced.
Maxim Trulov and Ksyusha Lastochka
leaders of the YOUR MUM'S KNIGHTS group
What are the 5 artworks which describe you the most?
Street installation in honor of the first working day after the pandemic "the Time hey are A-changing '"
Ksyusha's exhibition "There is no more time". That this is a whole exhibition is essentially one large installation in honor of the funeral the "sadness", which ended with the subsequent burning of the coffin.
The installation "Rise and Shine", which was about 7 meters high and almost 20 meters long
The work "I was in every home" in the color of a Czechoslovak sideboard, which is also very dear to our hearts
And I would like to highlight our new hobby - ceramics, which literally stuff our entire studio
What influences you the most?
Old Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoons, Scandinavian mythology, video games and music.
What would you like to change in the world and/or in the Art world in particular?
We would like less disagreements, but I think this is about how to want the impossible. So, at least – to increase the level of empathy for each other..
Do you feel part of an international community of artists ?
Sometimes it’s great to be part of something bigger.
What is Art for you?
Reflection of oneself and inner feelings. This question is too broad to be answered shortly. After all, as soon as you understand that what you do, to which you may have devoted little time, develops into something big, then you understand that this is no longer just a hobby, it is something more. The daily routine for an artist is his way of life. And this also partially reflects the concept of art for us. Our works, no matter how trite it may sound, are the eyes and the world of each of us.
Egor TOY
What are the 5 artworks which describe you the most?
It is difficult to say which works can reflect me the most if I do not use mirrors in them. But here is a selection from my Instagram feed :
What influences you the most?
Most of all, my artist friends influenced me. Those with whom I painted were friends and they continue to be. And also life situations and the world around me.
What would you like to change in the world and/or in the Art world in particular?
Most of all I would like more common sense, stability and variable success in the world.
Do you feel part of an international community of artists ?
I don't really consider myself as part of an art community. I paint in the streets, and here is a slightly different community. But from my exhibition I believe that yes, I became a part of it - I met many new people and continue to contact them.
What is Art for you?
Art, I would say, is beautiful pictures and everything that I like. In general, it seems to me that Art is all that has been done sincerely.
