Anthology of Object

private view: 4 February, 19:00

The story of the artistic dynasty of the Martirosovs will be rendered at the New Manege in February 2016 bringing together scenery and the visual arts. The word “anthology” comes from the Greek word anthologia meaning “a collection of flowers”, which is a good way to describe the unusual exposition opening at one of the main grounds of the Manege Association.

The father and son Martirosovs employ different media, but the common approach in their works is the unending search for shapes and plastic solutions and the re-evaluation of easel art traditions. The newly-built aesthetic canons of Alexander’s totemic objects and Vladimir’s kinetic sculptures, on the one hand, invite references to avant-garde of the early 20th century, and on the other hand, demonstrate the original method and approach to material. The title of the exhibition reveals the main principle of the exposition: the project focuses on diverse forms of perception of artistic objects, either kinetic, static or approximating reliefs.

The composition of the display centers on two very different approaches to demonstrating objects: the works by Vladimir Martirosov appear both on the acting and scenery sides in an unusual theatrical. The project’s architecture invites the viewer within a shadow play to be part of action set by the artist’s kinetic sculptures. This gesture comes as an extension of the exhibition space, getting into interaction with the displayed objects, which imitate, in the author’s view, the forms and movements of real and fictitious beings. And as the visitor is stepping along the stretched corridor of the shadow play, “clouds” (the author’s objects) are hovering above. Paintings, objects and installations by Alexander Martirosov create a space for observation of the figurative and abstract art in various media opening the way for analysing the evolution of the artist’s creative method.

About the authors:

Alexander Martirosov (b. 1949), an alumni of the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, presents his still lives, assemblages and installations combined together by the biographic context. The exposition invites viewers to follow the artist’s path from depicting an object toward analyzing it by observing the rhetoric of the texture and material and representing an artistic mind through the arrangement of space in the “Autobiography” installation.

Vladimir Martirosov (b. 1975), an alumni of the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, creates mobile (objects set in motion). “Down-to-earth” materials like steel, strings, cords and steel tubes assembled by the artist in movable constructs imitate the shapes and movements of plants, insects, animals and fish. Solos, duets and trios of the moving objects demonstrate their performances and projections to the public.

Media contact:

Manege Association | +7 (495) 645-92-76 | pr.manege@gmail.com

Head of PR Department: Elena Karneeva | e.karneeva@moscowmanege.ru, +7 (926) 576-40-53