Olga, what is underground art?
Underground art encompasses various creative directions. If we consider underground art in the visual arts, it is that unofficial art which did not fit into the ideological framework of the Soviet Union and Socialist Realism and was pushed to the periphery. Here I would like to mention the continuity of some underground practices. In our country's history the flowering of artistic, experimental and innovative practices fell on the 1910s–1920s of the 20th century. It was then that the avant-garde direction was born in the visual arts. Well-known representatives of the avant-garde were Malevich, Tatlin, Rodchenko, Larionov, Goncharova. Many received support from the Soviet authorities, but in the 1930s Socialist Realism replaced the avant-garde, and most artists not only lost their position but were repressed. Despite this, avant-garde practices remained and developed underground, which is why the underground is called the 'neo-avant-garde'.
Contrary to popular belief, underground art is not exclusively protest art. It is just that religion, eroticization, depiction of the nude and other themes that did not fit within the framework of Socialist Realism were banned. Therefore the work of underground representatives, nonconformists and unofficial artists was pushed out. Unlike members of the Union of Artists, they not only could not exhibit but also could not purchase art materials (those could only be bought by members of the Union). For this reason many objects in our museum were made from improvised materials.
Today there is great scholarly interest in underground art. In the professional community papers are being written devoted to the 1960s and 1970s. The underground has become a very popular topic. And it is studied comprehensively: from the avant-garde to underground art and then to contemporary art. In general, if you study the history of the Russian avant-garde, contemporary art becomes more understandable. Our museum is an encyclopedia of Soviet unofficial art and proof that despite the political context nothing can be banned in art.
Museum of the Underground in Yekaterinburg at 4 Dobrolyubova St.
Did underground artists try to make themselves known?
In our country there repeatedly occurred events that directly affected underground art and public moods. On December 1, 1962 there was a rather resonant meeting that forced the artists of the sixties to go underground. Nikita Khrushchev visited the avant-garde exhibition 'New Reality' at the Manege and trashed Belyutin's 'school.' The First Secretary declared that all abstract and expressionist pursuits were degenerative art. One of the participants in the Manege exhibition was Ernst Neizvestny, who unsuccessfully tried to persuade Nikita Sergeyevich. Ironically, it was Ernst Neizvestny who was later commissioned to create a monument for Khrushchev's grave.
In 1974 the famous 'Bulldozer Exhibition' took place in Moscow. Underground artists very much wanted to show their art and get feedback from viewers, but the authorities used heavy machinery and bulldozers to destroy the exhibition and disperse the people. Many works were damaged beyond repair. An international scandal erupted and the Soviet government allowed some underground artists to leave the country. Then Oskar Rabin, the main ideologist of the exhibition, emigrated to France with his family.
It is important to note that the underground period has clear boundaries and time frames. In our country the underground ended during perestroika, when nonconformist artists gained the opportunity to exhibit. The first public exhibition of unofficial artists in Sverdlovsk took place in 1987. Our collection includes all unofficial Sverdlovsk artists. And if we return to the topic of continuity of the underground, one cannot fail to mention the works of artist Vladimir Zhukov. They are spatial installations that in essence continue the creative searches of Tatlin or Rodchenko.
Bulldozer Exhibition of 1974 in Moscow. Archive photo
What prompted businessman Pavel Neganov to begin collecting underground art?
He began assembling his collection twenty years ago. But, like many Ural collectors, he started with more conventional authors: Volovich, Brusilovsky, members of the Union of Artists. As he built his collection he began to get acquainted with works by underground artists, who have always been numerous in Yekaterinburg. The aesthetics of their works inspired him to collect only unofficial art. After he gathered the Sverdlovsk artists, he moved on to forming collections of Leningrad and Moscow artists. The collection now contains more than 2,000 works. Making the collection public and creating a museum was a deliberate step — it is a gift to the city.
How is the museum space organized?
The museum is located in a large building in the very center of the city.
We have 12 rooms in total: two contemporary art halls, a lecture hall where we hold lectures, film screenings and performances; two halls devoted to the Leningrad underground, plus Moscow and Sverdlovsk halls. There is also a gallery, but we call it a shop for simplicity because artworks are sold there. Our special pride is the courtyard space painted by well-known street artists. Recently we have begun to develop as a concert venue. We are an interdisciplinary space, clearly limited by the movement, but it should be remembered that the underground includes music and literature as well. For example, the well-known Sverdlovsk rock club — a landmark of our city — also formed out of the underground environment. We have many programs dedicated to music, literature and poetry.
One of the halls of the Museum of the Underground
What is the mission of the Museum of the Underground?
We actualize the heritage of the underground. In recent years the focus of researchers and art historians has concentrated on unofficial art. Ten years ago, when choosing such a topic for academic research, there was a shortage of materials. Art-history students collected information bit by bit about studios, apartment and non-public exhibitions. Now this topic is becoming popular, and in this context our mission is to bring the heritage of forgotten artists to the fore.
We have a temporary exhibition hall where the exposition changes every two to three months. Our latest exhibition is devoted to the work of Alexei Lebedev, who did not have a solo show during his lifetime. He participated in several group exhibitions but was never fully presented to the public in all his creative diversity. He is an 'aesthete of the underground,' and his works are very decorative. In addition, we develop our creative environment and cooperate with many contemporary artists, supporting them. We have a series of exhibitions 'In Dialogue' where underground artists create exhibition projects together with young authors. It's very interesting to find echoes in themes or aesthetic views, in visual language.
Which artists' works are represented in the permanent exhibition?
We have works by many 'top' authors: Ilya Kabakov — the creator of the genre of 'total installations,' Erik Bulatov, Timur Novikov, Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, Oskar Rabin, Dmitri Prigov, Anatoly Osmolovsky, Alexander Vinogradov and Vladimir Dubossarsky, Oleg Kulik, Anatoly Zverev. Pablo Picasso said of Anatoly Zverev that he was the best draftsman of the 20th century. We have works by Viktor Tsoi — he was not only a musician but also an artist; he was friends with Timur Novikov and his group 'New Artists.' In addition, we have all the Sverdlovsk underground artists represented: works by Starik B.U. Kashkin, the conceptualists of the 'Uktus School,' who developed their own pictorial language built on signs and symbols. Essentially, our collection gathers the color of contemporary art — the authors who represented Russian contemporary art on the international stage.
Are there exhibits associated with special stories?
Previously our basements housed a contemporary art gallery, and many visitors created their own works and installations. Interestingly, our visitors always engaged in a dialogue with the exhibition; it was fascinating to observe. Now we are re-equipping the basements and plan to open a wine restaurant there by August.
As for works from the collection, we have several pieces by a key figure of the Sverdlovsk underground — Valery Gavrilov. He was inspired by Freudian ideas that were forbidden in the 1960s–70s, was fascinated by surrealism and eventually invented his own style — metaphysical realism. His works are rather dark, but you want to interact with these images. His wife Zinaida was a poet and a performance participant; she published samizdat. One of her collections was called 'Bloody Rains are Falling.' The Gavrilovs, together with other artists, lived in the art squat 'Voronya Slobodka.' Valery Gavrilov died young but left a large creative legacy, including a sculptural composition in our 'Foresters' Park.' It is a series of creepy but striking wooden idols that for a long time stood on the outskirts of the city and gradually decayed. But now they are being moved to Mayakovsky Park and will be restored.
What are the museum's plans for the future?
The plans are grand! Thanks to the summer courtyard space we hold concerts and festivals every week. In July, together with MEGA, we want to hold the first krump festival in Russia. Krump is a rather aggressive style of contemporary street dance. We are bringing dancers from Moscow, St. Petersburg and, of course, dancers from Yekaterinburg will take part.
Concert in the courtyard of the Museum of the Underground
In August we are planning a music-and-poetry festival featuring only women. On the first day female bands will perform. The second day will be devoted to poetry and literature, and we are preparing it together with the poet Egana Jabbarova, who specializes in postcolonial prose and poetry. With this festival we want to spotlight women in art. Our next exhibition will present works by four young women from the art group 'Peredvizhnitsy.' For the autumn we are planning a large joint project with the Multimedia Art Museum and Olga Lvovna Sviblova, dedicated to the works of underground artist and photographer Francisco Infante-Arana.
Interview conducted by Elizaveta Delorosa
