SUMMARY
Maksimka
is an art magazine representing St.Petersburg contemporary art and arguing on
topics which act as central points for contemporary art in general. Its purpose
is both to provide quality criticism and to follow current art life in Petersburg
and in a broader context as well.
Maksimka #5 is dedicated to the topic Models of the Real.
The issue
is opened with an interview with Yekaterina Dyogot, one of Russia's leading
art critics, based in Moscow. In the interview, Yekaterina Dyogot and the editors
of Maksimka discuss the situation of today's Russian art scene
and the problem of artists', critics', gallerists' involvement in politic, economic,
casual and other extra-art scenes.
In History department, you will find an article by Boris Groys, the well-known
art theoretician and one of the leading critics of Russian contemporary art.
The text, Art Ascetic, based on the artwork of the Georgian artist Giya
Edzgeveradze, deals with the reality and stereotypes of reality a contemporary
artist has to face. The topic is prompted by a classic text by Andre Breton,
The Crisis of Object, first appearing in Russian.
The next department, Theory, introduces an article by Dmitry Vilensky,
a photo artist and curator, based in Frankfurt/Main (Germany), on photo reality
and the purposes of photography in the changing visual coordiantes. Another
text in this department belongs to Petersburg art critic Valery Savchuk and
deals with performace art as an experiment in real life.
In Anthology, you will find The Philosophy of This by Sergey Spirihin,
an inspired investigation at the border of philosophy and poetry. The next department,
Personalia, introduces the young Petersburg photographer Alexander Lyashko
(reviewed by Maxim Raiskin), the patriarch of Petersburg modernism Vadim Voinov
(reviewed by Dmitry Pilikin), and Komelfo performance group (reviewed by Valery
Savchuk).
Presenting actual art projects is a part of Maksimka's editorial
policy. In this issue, we represent three photo projects: Igor's Mania
by Dmitry Vilensky and Olga Yegorova, a project based on a series of found photographs,
club photo series by Oleg Shagapov, and Private Life by Anna Timofeeva.
In Maksimka #5, you will also find critique of recent art events:
art action Beyond Time's Shelter in Novosibirsk, reflected in two somehow
controversial texts by the event participants, Dmitry Pilikin and Anna Matveyeva,
and the CD publication of Petersburg art guide From Neo-Academism to Cyberfeminism,
mockingly reviewed by local newspaper Chas Pik journalist Dmitry Tsilikin.
As always, the issue is concluded with a series of reviews of recent and current
exhibition and art projects.
CHECK THIS OUT! In June 2000, Maksimka and ArtPiter start monthly express issues: leaflets containing reviews of the month's art events in the city (in Russian). They will be available in print and on the Internet http://www.artpiter.spb.ru
