Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art presents an exhibition by Alexander Saidov – a sneak peek through the gates of a garden of paradise inhabited by fluffy chimeras, belligerent cupids, and angelic girls surrounded by juicy fruit
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The Garden of Eden as the artist’s private myth, complete with sunny vistas, marvellous plants, tempting fruit, and bizarre animals
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A complex ecosystem of the imagined paradise in which pleasure and sadness, suffering and love are inseparable
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An artistic dialogue with the painterly tradition of hellish visions
Since his early years, Krasnodar-based artist Alexander Saidov has been fascinated by the distinct blend of the fantastic and the real one sees in the enigmatic etchings of Piranesi or Arnold Böcklin’s paintings. Saidov’s creative universe seems to have been constructed by the sure hand of a master perfectly versed in the painterly tradition, incredibly visually experienced, and eager to share his discoveries. What is far more important, though, is that he has always treated his painting practice as magic. This combination of wise craftsmanship and magic is what makes Alexander Saidov’s works so enchanting, putting him in the position of an architect of his own paradise inhabited by fluffy chimeras and sad putti.
According to the artist, contemporary visual culture demonstrates a certain fixation on the visions of hell. From Dante and Bosch to the horror film franchises and video games, the images of descriptions of hell are plentiful and detailed. All the while, paradise remains lost and forgotten: few people manage to get to the end of the Devine Comedy. Alexander Saidov’s curiosity was not rewarded by the descriptions of heavenly light and angelic music he came across in literature. Armed with imagination and a heraldry guide, he set about modelling the architecture, flora, and fauna of paradise.
This sunlit realm is, unfortunately, beyond our reach. We can only marvel at it from afar, trying to catch a whiff of the enormous juicy fruit and eyeing the amazing animals – either wistful or simply calm. The gates of heaven are guarded by young maidens armed with the sharp arrows of love, and the viewer freezes on the brink of bliss wondering what ‘fruit of the moral qualms and berries of the doubt’ might taste like.
Alexander Saidov was born in Krasnodar Krai in 1970 and graduated from the Krasnodar Art College in 1989. Member of the Artists’ Union of Russia since 1995, Saidov was among the winners of the 2024 Erarta Prize. The artist took part in many group shows staged in Krasnodar and has had several solo exhibitions.
