05 îêò 2007—03 íîÿ 2007

Living and Dead

Piotr Shwetsov – an artist who constantly collaborates with the gallery starting with the project ‘’The Head of the Architect’’ (2005). At the exhibition two of his latest works are represented: a fountain with a video, painting and glass-cases with living crickets. A lot of people have remembered it since the installation ‘’Living and Dead’’ constructed by the artist on the stand of the gallery at the fair ‘’Art Moscow – 2007’’. It is shown in the second hall of the gallery. In the first hall one can see a huge picture ‘’Night Watch’’, where Piotr Shwetsov combines Rembrandt with zoological museum.

“Picturesque reflection of animals, snakes and birds presented by the artist with expression and passion surround you right at once you find yourself in the area of taxidermic surrealism. The central part of this installation is a pure white fountain, tiled, here and there ‘’encrusted’’ with paintings of black and white creatures, they seem to come from an immense natural beastiary. They are nice and look like toys. Surgical sterility of an unstained object works in contrast with painting and the rest – anyway it’s only an overture to a video line that can raise a degree of fear mixed with disgust of an extremely emotional viewer. What made the artist use this concentrated, aggressive and naturalistic influence in his works? Obviously, he wanted to breathe a new life into art with passion and rage, that will be able to bring us round, break into a boring screen glamour and bring back strong feelings and emotional experience’’ writes the curator of the exhibition Gleb Ershov.