Exhibition 'Retrospective. Chapter II' by Vladimir Fateev

CK19 Cultural Center presents the second part of Vladimir Fateev's solo exhibition 'Retrospective. Chapter II'. The exhibition features works devoted to Novosibirsk and to the artist's beloved poet, A. S. Pushkin. According to Fateev himself, he always felt a special connection with Alexander Sergeyevich; he considered him his 'twin brother' — both were born in June. The choice of the opening date, June 6, is no coincidence: it marks the 225th anniversary of the poet's birth and falls just a few days before the artist's birthday.

Pushkin in Fateev's work is portrayed with warmth, irony, and affection: sometimes as a naïve, pensive child ('Pushkin. Childhood'), sometimes as a dreamy sybarite ('Pushkin and the Muse'). It seems Vladimir Afanasyevich is telling the story of a man he knows well. With his characteristic sincerity and openness, the artist invites us to become part of this story — to stroll the streets of St. Petersburg in the company of the classics: A. Pushkin and N. Gogol.

'Vladimir Fateev is an outstanding Novosibirsk artist, comparable in scale and influence on younger generations to Nikolai Gritsyuk. At a time when metropolitan art schools insisted on strict adherence to compositional and color standards, Novosibirsk masters preferred to set their own rules on canvas, which contributed to the emergence of original, distinctive approaches. ... Drawing a parallel with Gritsyuk, one can point to works featuring Novosibirsk, beloved by both artists. But Nikolai Demyanovich broke his landscapes into parts, pushing the work to near-total abstraction, whereas Vladimir Afanasyevich's landscapes are masterpieces of formal art. In them, the buoyancy of oil brushstrokes paradoxically combines with an impeccably balanced composition,' says CK19 curator Anastasia Ermish.

'We continue a cycle of exhibitions dedicated to the most vivid and significant artists who lived and worked in Novosibirsk at different times. Exhibitions of Vladimir Fateev's works are an important milestone for CK19 and a major event for city residents. ... Vladimir Afanasyevich can rightfully be considered an artistic and theatrical symbol of Novosibirsk. But, unfortunately, his legacy has not yet received sufficiently broad public recognition. We decided to correct this oversight by assembling and presenting a substantial panorama of the master's work so that residents and visitors of our city could discover this unique Siberian artist,' shares CK19 director Inna Ostromenskaya.

The exhibition runs until July 7, 2024.