Preparing this exhibition Erarta provided the artist with complete independence, limited only by the display area. The result was very surprising. Instead of great variety of impudent, fresh, paranoiac, socially controversial, extremely fashionable works the show reveals a solid image of a young seeking artist. All artists are full of tense emotions and adore their Masters. Moreover all of them are in a unique state of creative search of their own personal manner. They are eager to find their place, to be involved in common artistic process. This is an evidence of self reflection.

“In search of their own distinctive manner one studies fresco painting in monasteries, other — art of Die Brücke group. One again destroys the traditions of classical education turning a studio drawing into something very personal and private, other reflects about theories of Russian Avant-Garde painters or commercial success of YBA (Young British Artists)”, the exhibition curatorss say. “Some authors are completely taken by their everyday life, for example in their relations with beloved people. Moreover all of them are in a unique state of creative search and working out their own manner. Still in a few days many of this educates of famous fine-art institutes will squeamishly give up classical modernism and will leave their teachers. Picasso’s admirers will do it ironically, Avant-Garde adorers will come to sense, and the painter Julia Bakhtiozina will stop dreaming about Frida Kahlo’s unibrow. The installation “Art belongs to people” by Anna Villevald and Aleksandr Arkhipenko is a symbol of the exhibition. Skillfully executed copy of Rembrandt’s painting becomes the object for authors’ irony. The awkward wire construction in front of canvas is a sign of modern onlooker. He pores over the classical painting which is very far from this modern display. This figure belongs to reality — unlike the painting which depicts much more humanlike characters. Thanks to museums, cards, art albums with copies our world has turned into one depicted in modernist works. Nowadays many artists who managed to find their unique manner, rid of clichés typical for beginners keep on depicting this brand-new world. The type of artistic mentality that understands the wire man had formed long before. Nowadays a painter who had been devotedly copying Rembrandt is observing his own creation, and his place in life and art is the wire man’s place.

Pavel Markaitis