The third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Michail Grobman
ARTinvestment.RU   22 августа 2009

ARTinvestment.RU talks about living in Israel a long time artist Michael Grobmane - one of the leaders of the so-called second Russian avant-garde

From September 25 to October 25 in Moscow will host The Third International Biennale of Contemporary Art. Among its participants - Israeli painter of Russian origin Mikhail Grobman , whose new project «Metamorphoses collage »will be presented at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art at Petrovka, 25.

Mikhail Yakovlevich Grobman is one of the representatives of «second Russian avant-garde» (a term introduced into circulation by him). He is also known as a poet, writer and collector. Grobman born in Moscow in 1939. From 1956 to 1958 he studied at night school and worked as a bricklayer on a construction site, where he befriended the poet Vladimir Gershoni. In 1959 he was the first solo exhibition Grobman - in the Leningrad Art School named after VI Mukhina. Then he began to organize in their home (in the barracks in Moscow Tekstilshchiki) exposure of their friends - the new avant-garde.

The term «Second Russian Avant-Garde» became widespread in the early 1990's, but Grobman began to use it more in the 1970's, in his articles and speeches. The term is still far from universally accepted, but the talent and high merit Grobman as systematists and unofficial chronicler of postwar art can not be questioned. The beginning of the second avant-garde, on Grobmanu, is considered in 1957, when Moscow in the international festival of youth and students held the exhibition, which presented works of contemporary Western art. Discover the art had an enormous influence on the work of many Soviet artists: some have begun to imitate Western models, while for others the idea of European and American colleagues were merely a catalyst for creating its own unique aesthetic. According Grobman, only the latter have a right to be called the real avant-garde. The list of those who belonged to this group, has 39 people (this list can be found at forum ARTinvestment.RU , at the topic of the second Russian avant-garde ). Finally the group took shape in 1960. Western journalists called these artists «nonconformists», «dissidents», «underground», «informal», etc., but they called themselves «Moscow left».

Well before the Emigration, in Moscow, Grobman featured high interest in the culture of its people. In 1965, on his second solo exhibition at the Moscow House of Artists, showed works on Jewish themes. At the same time the artist was doing conceptual works, among them - a collage with Stalin, who, according to Joseph Backstein, anticipated the social art. This collage is considered the first work of art, which used a portrait of the Generalissimo. Now work is in the Cologne Museum Ludwig. Grobman Conceptual works were exhibited at its first overseas exhibition, held in 1966 in the Czechoslovak city of Ust-on-Orlice.

In 1971, Grobman emigrated to Israel and settled in Jerusalem. With him he took not only their own works, but also the creation of avant-garde friends (which he collected from the end of 1950), as well as the impressive size of the archive. Artist in the new state was well received - two months after their arrival has been arranged his solo exhibition at the State Museum of Art in Tel Aviv. But, as recognized Grobman, good relations with Israel's artistic policy establishment does not ask is: according to him, there the majority of authors «came on the heels» West, and create a new Jewish art, which he dreamed of an artist, not tried.

In Israel, the artist said about the need to find new ways in art, not associated with realism and conceptualism. In 1975 he founded the group «Leviathan» and issued the first number of the same name of the newspaper. In the first manifesto of the new association said that the three «Whale», which must be a new national identity - is «primitive» (Haggadah), «symbol» (Kabbalah) and the «letter» (Talmud). According to the manifesto, the political base of the group was Zionism, spiritual - the Jewish mysticism. In addition to paintings and graphic works, the participants «Leviathan» staged performances and installations erected (in Israeli cities, in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea).

Since 1983, Mikhail Grobman lives and works in Tel Aviv. In 1979-1981 he made a series of ironic works «Leniniana», on «destruction of the myth of Lenin». Newspaper «Leviathan» lasted not very long: come just three rooms. In the early 1990's Grobman and his wife published the newspaper «Sign of the time» and «The links», and in 1993 saw the first issue of the journal «Mirror», which is published to this day.

In 2002, the Moscow publishing house «UFO» Grobman's book «Leviathan. Diaries 1963-1971 years ». It is an indispensable document for those interested in the underground art of the time. In 2007, Grobman sold its unique archives to the owner of the museum Art4.ru Igor Markin.

Artworks Mikhail Grobman located in the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow), State Russian Museum (St. Petersburg), Museum of Art (Tel Aviv), the Center Pompidou (Paris) and other well-known collections.

Portfolio Grobman periodically appear on the Israeli auctions. Be referred to an expensive auction of his work is a gouache 1986 «Dedication Lena Katz». 6 April 2002 she brought on the Tel Aviv Christie's 2,9 thousand dollars (excluding Buyer's Premium). But telling this result, of course, can not be named.

article prepared by Julia Maksimova, AI

P.S. On the third parties Moscow Biennale of contemporary art can be found:

third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. AEC F
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Christian Markle
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. Yuri Albert
Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. El Anatsui

Sources: eleven.co.il , magazines.russ.ru/authors/g/grobman , vz.ru , netslova.ru , art4.ru , 3rd.moscowbiennale.ru , grobman.info , artinvestment.ru