By Vestnik Kavkaza
The Central House of Artists is holding the Moscow art show “CHA 2013: Process.” Expositions of 17 unions of artists from the CIS and the Baltic countries present works by young artists, while the International Confederation of Artists Unions presents the project “We were young…” These are works by well-known masters from all former Soviet republics, which were created when authors were under 35.
“It is the 16th Moscow international art show. This time it is completely devoted to young artists,” the chairman of the executive council of the ICAU, Masut Fatkulin, says. “Several years ago we presented young artists, but today we maintain experimental integrity. Here are only young people who are under 35. The second project is some creative tournament of young people from the 1980s. There are interesting parallels – young artists of the 1980s and modern young artists. They have a lot of similarities and differences.
Maximal participation of all unions is important for us. For many years unions of artists from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia regularly participate in our shows, and it presents a general picture of the post-Soviet space when we were in one Union of Artists through which we implemented many creative ideas and plans. The Union of Artists of the USSR couldn’t exist further as independent states appeared. But the community which used to be called the Union of Artists of the USSR is viable and the unions of artists of all independent national states confirm this. We have much stronger contacts than recent political events.”
“An artist is the most ancient profession. It was a mean of communication between people and it appeared earlier than a word. We have some advantages from this point of view,” president of the ICAU, chairman of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, Farkhad Khaliliv thinks. “However, people of art are similar because we have similar goals. I don’t treat music or literature as a consumer. Unfortunately, not all writers treat visual art in such a way. Regarding artists, from the one hand it is more visual what they do, but on the other hand, it is not seen. This is a difficulty of visual art. But every meeting is huge pleasure because all artists are different in style, level, talent, but these achievements are important as they encourage us to move forward through communication. We should be open for mutual understanding. Often artists do not understand each other as they see everything from the prospect of their art. It is not right. At this moment you should reject yourself and see the other person. That’s how we move forward. Such meetings are significant. Young artists have an opportunity to meet, and it is important. It is forming their future.”
“Having watched all works, you have a feeling that in our hard time the confederation confirmed that it has an opportunity to present works by young artists in such a scale,” chairman of the Moscow Union of Artists, Viktor Glukhov, thinks, “I remember our past deeds, pan-Union exhibitions, but they were different. First of all you note the exposition art. An artist should have a special gift to compose his work with taste. It is a separate kind of art. We have had such masters from the times of Diaghilev. An exposition is free from exaggeration and needless decoration.
I watched with interest what is presented from the confederation’s collection. I was surprised. Everything is tasteful and moderate, it is a difference from the past tendency. I was pleased to watch every work, an artist’s attitude to painting, a composition, colors, and so on. We are talking about ideology, but I would like to say that an idea has always been and should be in art always.”
“The idea of presenting works by young artists who are already stars in our countries is great,” chairman of the Russian Union of Artists, Andrei Kovalchuk, says. “You walk through the hall and remember passed years, passed youth exhibitions. Comparison of works which were created recently and works which were created 30-40 years ago causes certain feelings and ideas. We see the works which were stored in the confederation’s collection. It gives an opportunity for further development.”
“For me this exhibition is a sign that art is a special spiritual value, a unifying foundation which brings people of different generations, different tastes, different faiths together,” a member of the presidium of the Russian Academy of Artists, Alexander Rozhin, thinks. “This is an exhibition for everybody, but it is also professional.”
