ARTinvestment.RU presents the story of Russian artists - participants of the Third Biennale of Contemporary Art

24 September in Moscow was called The Third International Biennale of Contemporary Art. ARTinvestment.RU presents a series of stories about Russian and foreign artists, whose works can be seen at this exhibition.

Let's start with our compatriots, the group AES S . This artistic association has existed for quite a long time - since 1987. However, the letter «S» appeared in the title only in 1995-meters, when Tatiana Arzamasovoy, Lev Evzovichu and Vladimir Vladimir joined Śviack Fridkes. «Background» of the artists are quite different: Arzamasova and Evzovich engaged in the conceptual architecture; Śviack worked in the field of graphic design, as well as Fridkes famous fashion photographer - his work can be seen on the pages of leading magazines Vogue, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, etc.

F AES became known through a series of «Islamic project», dedicated to resisting the western and eastern civilizations. The artists tried to imagine what it would be with the cities of Europe and America in the case of the Islamic conquest: their photos directly from the famous buildings such as the Opera House in Sydney and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, grow giant mosque, the area in front of Paris's Pompidou Center turned into a bazaar , on Red Square roam mujahideen with machine guns, and the Statue of Liberty wore a veil and change the Constitution on the Koran. The series appeared in 1996, but the greatest response obtained immediately after the events of September 11, 2001, as previously thought ironic computer collages have become perceived as a dark prophecy.

not simple relations of West and East is dedicated to another famous work of AES S - video, entitled «The yellow trains, eats white», «Premier» which took place in 1998. On one screen-Asian chef prepares incredible dishes, in another European gentleman they absorb. In this work, the artists clearly hinted at the power in the modern world. Even if the West and East decide to love each other, that, according to the «aesovtsev», good end can not. In this paper, Who wants to live forever (1998), the bloody outcome of the novel symbolizes the Princess Diana, crashed into a car with her Arab lover Dodi al-Fayed. Who wants to live forever - this video, where the same song to the group Queen «Princess» coquettishly showing wounds received when a terrible accident.

Heroes of the many works of AES S are children. In 1997, the artists presented a series «suspects» - seven photographs of girls who have committed particularly serious crimes and sentenced to prison, and seven photographs of Moscow ordinary schoolgirl. All images mixed: the viewer is invited to the guess who the perpetrator and who is not. Most are not able to.

F AES pay attention to the fact that the violence - an integral part of the world today's children. However, in most cases, this violence is not present, as seen through the «glossy» a Hollywood film, fashion, advertising and computer games. Popular «Shooting» Action Half Life has the name of a series of photographs (2003-2005), where kids androginnye beautiful models posing with blasters on the background of biblical landscapes. In the eyes of those cherubic creatures have nothing but indifference - as the main hero of the series «Rich Boy» (2001), cold handsome 12 years old, not age-fed entertainment. Each of the characters of Action Half Life - «last hero», if they did not notice the presence of others: to achieve this effect, all the children were shot in the studio separately. Landscapes have been captured in the Sinai desert (not far from the places where George Lucas shot his «Star Wars»), a variety of futuristic weapons and facilities were built in 3D-graphics. In the series also includes graphic works created after photos, as well as bronze sculptures.

Another major project AES S - «The Forest King» (2001-2004). The name he gave the famous novel by French writer Michel Tour (Michel Tournier). Drevnegermanskoy According to legend, the king of the forest - an evil spirit, kidnaps and kills children. A tour as the king of the forest stands a strange man, engaged in the selection of teams for boys Hitler - «cannon fodder», grind ruthless machine of totalitarianism. The draft AES S totalitarianism are responsible for the mass media. Boys and girls in white T-shirt, made of gilded interiors of the Catherine Palace in Times Square in New York and the Mohammed Ali Mosque in Cairo - not ordinary children, and the «future stars» sports, ballet, and the model business. Their task was to behave naturally, but, according to Fridkesa, «they can not hold still and pose, understood as beneficial to file as an image of himself».

In 2006, saw the light, perhaps the most famous series of AES S - «Last rebellion». Like Action Half Life, it is devoted to «voynushke», but instead children are arms waving teenagers. Another difference - in Action Half Life heroes just getting ready for battle, and in «Rebellion» already at war at all. Anemic individuals, however, all the same. And the blood are nowhere to be seen - «voynushka» purely virtual. This work can be perceived in different ways: some will see in the «Last rebellion» hint that today's children, fed and blockbuster computer games, see the war as just another game, while others note that the creation of AES S - the metaphor of «war of all against all », which are beautiful and ambitious young people who want to at all was to declare itself: all« role »execute these models, hardened by countless casting. It is impossible not to draw attention to the «formal» of the project: posture patterns inspired by Caravaggio's painting and sculpture Lorenzo Bernini.

«Last rebellion» - this is a series of photographs and sculptural ensemble, and video (the music of Wagner!) In the 2007-meters last was shown at major international exhibition of contemporary art - the Venice Biennale. With «The last rebellion» AES S were among the nominees first prize Kandinsky.

The Venice Biennale - 2009 is also not done without our heroes: in the arsenal Novissimo exhibited their new video «Feast Trimalhiona». Work is the main exhibit «Unconditional Love» (Unconditional Love). «Feast Trimalhiona» story moves from «Satirikon», dedicated to orgies in the house of the Roman rich man, in our days. Orgy is taking place at a luxury hotel: first Asian pleasure serving white guests, and then they change roles. Of course, no pornography viewers not to wait: as always with AES S, is there a cold glamor.

AES S creations appeared on the big auction Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Phillips de Pury. The most expensive work of artists is the sculpture «Soldier number 4» (from a series of Action Half Life), sold 12 Mar., 2008 at Sotheby's for 120.5 thousand pounds sterling (estimeyt 100-150 thousand). Second place - digital print on canvas «Action Half Life, Episode 2, № 12», brought 42.5 thousand pounds at the same auction. The experts evaluated the work of 35-40 thousand. Closes three «Last rebellion 2. Tonda number 19 ». This photo was sold May 16, 2009 at Phillips de Pury over 10 thousand pounds (estimeyt 8-12 thousand).

Moscow AES S represents gallery «Triumph». The works of artists will be exhibited in the main project of Moscow Biennale (Center of Contemporary Culture «garage», 24 September - 25 October).

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova, AI

Source: moscowbiennale.ru , gif.ru , kommersant . ru , mmoma.ru , chaskor.ru , simple.ru , artinvestment.ru