Previews

Moscow Set in Stone: Daziaro’s Lithographs

The two Russian capitals Moscow and St. Petersburg as seen by Alexander Pushkin and his contemporaries, are displayed in lithographs at an exhibition organized by the Pushkin Museum. Lithography, a printing technique invented by Bavarian playwright Alois Senefelder in 1796 was a popular means of illustration in 19th century Europe. In the first part of that century, hundreds of printing shops all over Europe, including Russia, emerged. One such Russian printing shop was opened by Italian print maker Giuseppe Daziaro who created color prints depicting beautiful views and panoramas of Moscow and St. Petersburg to the delight of modern antique dealers. Interest in this sort of lithographic print is only now reappearing in Russia after the Soviet oblivion. For experts, the Daziaro exhibition is somewhat of a surprise, as the Pushkin Museum rarely mounts an exhibition of graphics in such a quantity. This exhibition will be a pleasant visual journey back to 19th century Moscow, as depicted by an Italian artist with great attention to detail.

The Girl Who Sold Her Soul To The Devil And Won

Before turning to contemporary art, Christoph Broich was an internationally renowned fashion designer. For the 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Broich presents a selection of his work in the unique setting of Dom Spiridonov. Broich is best known for his impressive sculptural installations which take the form of casts or ‘skins’. In his Kopf (Head) series, the artist expands his visual vocabulary by creating a cohesive environment around a single element, the head. Cut up iconic items of clothing and fabric are collaged onto busts and then painted with several coats of latex. Upon completion, as with all of Broich’s meticulously made sculptures, the bust is destroyed and the shell (skin) is all that remains. Broich’s skinned sculptures focus on deterioration and present the reversal of the natural process: skin and flesh decomposing first and the skeleton remaining. Suspended from the ceiling, the heads create an eerie field of beheaded individuals.

Poligraphic Department of the Vhutemas- Vhutein. Teachers and Pupils

The fashion for abbreviations in the Soviet 1920s made some well-known institutions unpronounceable or even unrecognizable. For example, the famous Stroganov Arts School was first renamed ‘Vhutemas’ and later ‘Vhutein.’ This was unpronounceable and even unrecognizable tomost Russians. Nevertheless, this institution was in the vanguard of visual arts and design in the 1920s-1930s. Its aim was to prepare a new generation of artists that would preach a new visual language to common people. The current exhibition displays works of both teachers and students of this extraordinary artistic laboratory. Among the professors are such outstanding masters as N. Kuprejanov, I. Nivinsky, P. Miturich, V. Favorsky, who cultivated talented and genuine artists as A. Dejneka, A. Goncharov, J.P imenov, M. Axelrod, P. Williams, Kukryniksy and many others. The show features a variety of different genres, to form a mosaic demonstrating this artistic experiment.

From the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean

The Museum of Oriental Arts presents an exhibition dedicated to Indian applied arts. Stone, metal, wood, cotton and silk, sea shells and paper are transformed into artistic masterpieces thanks to inspiration from the Indian God Vicvakarman – the God of artisans. The current exhibition displays numerous exhibits from different regions of India – from Bengalia to Bastar and of differentera: animals-amulets and talismans, pieces of ornaments carved in ivory, metal works of the dhokra and bidri techniques, sculptures and paintings. A separate hall is dedicated tofamous Indian silk and wool tissues, famous all over the world for their rich colors, techniques and ornaments.

Autumn Crescendo

Crescendo is an annual festival held in Moscow presenting young musicians from Russia and other countries who are winners of various prestigious international awards. The festival is organized by well-known pianist and winner of the 11th Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition, Denis Matsuyev. Unlike festivals supported by other Maestros – Vladimir Fedoseyev, Yuri Temirkanov and Valery Gergiev for example that feature world celebrities – Crescendo gives young performers a chance who have yet to gain fame at international competitions in the West and who are almost unknown to Russian audiences. On November 1 there will be a gala concert divided into symphonic and jazz sections. The first will present compositions by Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Saint-Saëns, Chopin, Rakhmaninov and Liszt performed by the Academic State Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yury Simonov and soloists – E. Mechetina (piano), B. Brovtsyn (violin), A. Gainullin (button accordion), D. Matsuyev (piano), S. Nakaryakov (trumpet), S. Suvorov (violoncello), and I. Fedorov (clarinet). The second part will be given to jazz tunes improvized by D. Matsuev, A. Ivanov and D. Sevastianov.

Lady de Disco

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is one of the most refined ladies on the modern popular music scene. She composes her own music, mixing pop, disco and nu-disco and her albums have gone multi-platinum. Her career began in 1997 with an indie band called theudience and she sang a duet with Manic Street Preachers. But she attained even more fame after the band split and Sophie turned to electronic music. In 2000, the track Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) by Italian DJ Spiller entered the top of the British and European charts. The 2000 Best Ibiza Tune award predestined Ellis-Bextor’s success on the electronic music stage. Since 2001 she has released three studio albums – Read My Lips, Shoot from the Hip, Trip the Light Fantastic and Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) is set for release next year. A perfectionist, she is always extremely attentive to the quality of her music and performances.

Bright October Spring

On the schedule this year at the Russian Fashion Week there is a socalled Italian Day, supported by the National Chamber of Fashion based in Milan – the organizer of Milan Fashion Week. Designers from the U.S., Spain, Denmark and Malaysia will be flying in specially for the show. The general producer, Alexander Shumsky, highly values new participants, saying that despite all the financial storms, fashion actually becomes a useful tool in times of crises. For those who are not well acquainted with the works of local designers, a must-see list comprises of shows by ARNGOLDT, Julia Dalakian, Tatyana Perfenova, Yegor Zaitsev, Elena Makashova and Irina Khakamada, Viva Vox, Elena Suprun, Cyrille Gassiline, POUSTOVIT, TEGIN, Chistova&Endourova, Lyudmila Norsoyan, Anna Direchina, Personage, Mainaim, LO and Olga Brovkina. As is the tradition, Slava Zaitsev will open the week with his show.

Volvo Fashion Week

The first ever haute couture fashion week in Moscow took place in 1994, which means that this year’s fashion parade is a kind of jubilee for its organizers. In 2003 its name was changed to Fashion Week in Moscow, and it remains a key event in the world of fashion, revealing new names to the audience and inviting star names among whom there has been Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Costume National, Antonio Berardi, Fendi, Vivienne Westwood, Julien Macdonald, Emanuel Ungaro, Alessandro Dell’ Acqua, Paco Rabanne and Sonia Rykiel. The concept of the Fashion Week relies on the experience of international weeks in Paris, New York, London and Milan. The format presupposes daily briefings and conferences given by haute couture designers. In parallel, designers present their collections in showrooms. It means that the show is also a busy forum for everyone involved in the world of fashion. And yet the principal idea of the event is to present new names. In the last 10 years thanks to Fashion Week we have become acquainted with designers who are now deemed fashion trend setters in this country: Igor Chapurin, Andrey Sharov, Tatyana Parfenova, Viktoria Andreyanova, Lyuda Dobrokhotova, Darya Razumikhina, Natasha Drigant and many others.