QUERCUS. MARGINALIA TO NABOKOV
19.02.2016–19.03.2016
curator / Anna Babich
sculpture / Vasili Tsimashov, Polina Pirogova
video / Alexandra Kononchenko
music / Anastasia Popova, Dmitri Katsechev, Daniil Salesski, Ilona Les
choreography / Anna Korzuk and Co
The “Quercus. Marginalia To Nabokov” sculptural art project is an actual objectification of Nabokov’s famous novel “Invitation for execution” performed in The Zair Azgur Memorial Studio in Minsk (Belarus). Zair Azgur is one of the most outstanding sculptors of soviet socialistic realism. During his life he created about 1500 portraits of famous soviet politicians, philosophers, writers, artists and etc. He made a portrait of a whole epoch.
But soviet period became a tragedy for millions of people. And it is a subject for scientific researches and art reflections today.
The novel “Invitation for execution” by Nabokov is about thinking and deep person in fake society. The protagonist is condemned on an execution. He is waiting for the death penalty reading a novel about oak (quercus (lat.)) that was a witness of different historic and personal dramas under it.
The sculpture created by Vasili Tsimashov and Polina Pirogova is an image of an oak from the novel with tragic and contradictory history of 20th century under it.
The record of the chapter from the novel “Invitation for execution” sounded in exhibition hall during the whole project, as well as video installation by Alexandra Kononchenko was demonstrated.
In 2017 the sculpture created by Vasili Tsimashov and Polina Pirogova especially for art project “Quercus. Marginalia To Nabokov” got The National Prize in sculpture.
Photo by Alexandra Kononchenko
