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Olga Chernysheva at White Space Gallery |
Olga Chernysheva Emerging Figures A project in video, photography and drawing 17 May – 11 June
White Space Gallery is pleased to present a new project by Olga Chernysheva entitled ‘Emerging Figures’. Chernysheva's work typically depicts characters from Central Russia living the most trivial lives, never making it to the level of news. None of their activities merit sensationalist exposure – they could be described as doing things that are just ignored by the TV and media. However her focus on their lives, transforms their status and our perception of them.
‘Emerging Figures’ shows people absorbed in particular, and everyday, activities: sweeping a road, moving along a street, riding a scooter in Red Square or collecting items in a park for recycling. Do they reflect the changing state of Russian everyday life or is she recording the mundane or the forgotten moments which constitute the substance of life itself?
In her attention to their activities, Chernysheva manages to capture people in moments which are as fragile as they are ephemeral: an elderly women in the park in the evening, a girl learning to skate on the ice of the frozen pond, a disabled man walking along a deserted street using a box instead of a crutch. Ordinary experiences become extraordinary as the viewer realises their own presence as observers and their complicity with the artist’s vision. The exhibition will also include the video film ‘Seven Exercises’; ‘Kind People!’, a series of black and white photographs from a snowy street market in Russia, and her drawings from the ‘Figures’ series which are based on images from her videos and photos. This disparate material is united by a particular time and place: life in Central Russia, 2004 -2005. Olga Chernysheva (b. 1962, Moscow) graduated from Moscow Cinema Academy, and from Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. She was selected to represent Russia in the Russian Pavilion of Venice Biennale in 2001. Olga Chernysheva’s work has been included in the following recent international exhibitions: “Sites”, Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art 2005 (at the Moscow House of Photography), “Contemporary video from Russia”, video programme at The Photographer’s Gallery, London, 2005; “The Happiness Zone”, The State Russian Museum, St Petersburg, 2004; “Berlin – Moscow/Moscow-Berlin”, State Historical Museum, Moscow, 2004 and Martin – Gropius- Bau, Berlin, 2003; “Photo biennale 2004”, Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow; “Watch Out!”, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo, 2004; “System of Coordinates”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, 2004. Her works are in the collection of the State Russian Museum, St Petersburg, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, MOMA, NY as well as in many other corporate and private collections. Organised in collaboration with Stella Art Gallery, Moscow For more information and images call Anya Stonelake on 07949 100 956 Opening times 17 May – 11 June, Wed – Sat, 11- 6pm. Admission free
White Space Gallery in St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G ODQ. Tube: Bond St Tel. 0207 3999 555 or 07949 100956. info@whitespacegallery.co.uk www.whitespacegallery.co.uk
White Space Gallery is also showing at Photo-London Photography Fair at the Royal Academy from 19th – 22nd May Stand 22 Exhibiting artists: Tatiana Antoshina, Sergey Bratkov, Vita Buivid, Olga Chernysheva, Genia Chef, Stephen Gill, Oleg Kulik, Boris Mikhailov
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