Blitz interview. Semyon Mikhailovsky has been appointed as the new commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale Semyon Mikhailovsky Academy of Arts

At the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, the rector of the St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin (St. Petersburg Academy of Arts) Semyon Mikhailovsky is the head of the “Fine Arts” section and, as commissioner of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, will present the concept of the 2018 exhibition. Semyon Ilyich - about the work of the forum, the attitude towards Russian art abroad and the mission of a contemporary artist in an exclusive interview with the portal "Culture.RF".

- Semyon Ilyich, what is a cultural forum and what happens in the fine arts section?

Unlike an economic or legal forum, a cultural forum is not a place for making decisions that have practical benefits. Therefore, at first, when the forum existed as a local initiative, many were skeptical about it.

When the Government of the Russian Federation became involved in the work, the status of the event rose to a certain level. Personal participation and contacts of famous Russian cultural figures with the world community help attract directors, musicians, writers, actors, and heads of the world's largest museums.

I consider the expansion of events to be an important step forward: at first it was only three days in November. For example, under the auspices of the forum, an exhibition of young artists from Russia and Japan will be held in the Manege. After all, next year has been declared the year of cultural cooperation with Japan.

It is important for us to attract foreign experts: this year there will be experts from eight countries. We are waiting for a delegation from Tokyo, Musashino University of the Arts to sign a cooperation agreement; from the Shanghai University of the Arts, heads of the Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen and the Roman Academy of Fine Arts, the School of Fine Arts in Carrara and the Glasgow Institute of Art.

- What will happen at the “Art and Revolution” symposium? Why is this topic so important today?

The discussion, which we will begin on November 15 in Manege, is dedicated to the centenary of the Revolution. We will primarily discuss exhibitions organized abroad and in Russia.

Evgenia Petrova kindly agreed to talk about the preparation of two exhibitions at the Russian Museum. Marina Loshak is also preparing a presentation at the A.S. Pushkin Museum. Pushkin. And, of course, we are waiting for Mikhail Piotrovsky. This will be a broad discussion dedicated not only to the October Revolution, but also to revolutions in art. We are talking about leaders and curators, their motivation. There will also be artists, for example, Dmitry Gutov, who studies Marxist texts. We will definitely announce the theme of the exhibition in the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2018.

- Can you lift the veil of secrecy a little now? What kind of topic will it be?

The topic is not unexpected, but significant. It will definitely not be dedicated to one architect or design bureau - different projects will be exhibited, united by a common theme.

- What atmosphere reigns at the biennale, be it architectural or artistic?

There's a wonderful non-partisan community there. Our neighbors at the Giardini Biennale are the Japan Pavilion, and, symptomatically, we have no territorial disputes. On one side is the Japan Pavilion, on the other is the Venezuela Pavilion. Opposite is the Scandinavian Pavilion. We meet often and try to help each other. This year we had an excellent English PR company. By the way, American Forbes included the Russian Pavilion on its must see list. I don’t feel any pressure from our state, or oppression from the Italian owners, who are sympathetic to Russians. I feel very interested in collaboration on many different levels. Although the pavilion is always different from others.

The French noted that although we have different subjects, this does not interfere with the dialogue. I recently attended the presentation of the Hermitage catalog of Italian sculpture in the Doge's Palazzo. There was an academic audience there, very positively disposed.

In general, people abroad are very interested in Russia, especially in Russian culture, not only in its heritage, but also in the present day.

- What will an ordinary visitor to the Biennale see when entering the Russian pavilion?

A good exhibition is not a patchwork quilt - it should be integral, with a clear content and emotional message. The exposure must have a clear trajectory that evokes an experience. In truth, the theme of next year's pavilion directly references our vast geography. But it will also have a very personal, human dimension. When representing a country at a biennale, it is important to ensure that the topic - no matter what - is understandable and close to everyone.

- Speaking about the presence of modern projects at the exhibition, do you still think about promising directions?

The entire 20th century passed for us in cataclysms. Of course, everyone is trying to catch trends and correspond to global trends. If earlier art came from denial, now it is integrated into history.

What opportunities do young architects and artists have today? Can they count on government help?

On the facade of the Academy from old times, from the era of Catherine, an inscription has been preserved - “free arts”, but this is not about the independence of the artist.

- What remains for them then?

The artist must look and see, see and feel, feel and think. Talent is from God, the task is to show talent, maintain individuality, defend your vision, and not wander left and right.

- To what extent should an artist convey the spirit of the times?

The artist reflects the era, but is in a different dimension. He is genetically connected with the past, but foresees the future, which makes him different from the average person. The artist stands out because he sees more, sometimes differently, and reveals to us what we do not see. Thanks to him, the world becomes more interesting and deeper.

Interviewed by Lyudmila Kotlyarova

Semyon Mikhailovsky. Courtesy IZHSA im. I.E. Repina

Rector of the St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin (IZHSA) Semyon Mikhailovsky, by order of the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, was appointed commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art until 2021. He replaced in this post the founder of the Stella Art Foundation, which was the commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the 2011, 2013 and 2015 Biennales and organized exhibitions in Venice, and. Semyon Ilyich Mikhailovsky was born in Leningrad in 1961, graduated with honors from IZHSA in 1984. Honorary Professor of the Moscow Architectural Institute and Shenzhen University, member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of the Russian Federation. He has headed IZHSA since December 2009. He was the organizer and curator of exhibitions of Russian art in Stockholm (Academy of Arts), Venice (Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale), Taipei (Taiwan), Miami (as part of Art Basel Miami Beach), Ravenna (Pinacoteca), Bologna (Academy of Arts), Rome (Academy of Arts). In 2014, Semyon Mikhailovsky was appointed commissioner of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, when the Russian pavilion, the exhibition of which was prepared by the Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design, was awarded

Ksenia Landa, editor of Gallery.spb magazine, interviewed Semyon Mikhailovsky, who replaced Albert Charkin as rector of the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. I. E. Repin...

— Indeed, there has not yet been a rector who is an art historian or an architectural historian. The Academy has developed a curious formula dividing employees and teachers into “creators” and “non-creators.” Before me there was a deeply respected sculptor, before him there was a deeply respected artist. For a time there was even a highly respected architect. And many, many other highly respected artists. As you can see, there is now a need for a person who is not bound by shop interests, a person who could lead from some distance. Now all faculties are on equal terms. Only pedagogical and creative abilities matter.

- And what is the view from a distance?

- Lack of clarity. What I found is the result of long-term mimicry, an interweaving of circumstances. We have a great history, of which we are deservedly proud. But we should not ignore the changes taking place in society. The Academy as a certain hierarchical system was supported in imperial and Soviet times, but now there is no such support, there is no such powerful patron and customer. The art market exists in a different coordinate system. Many have expressed fears that the academic system could perish if any changes are made. But it is already badly damaged, much has been lost. We must first of all understand what today’s academic system of art education is and give it a new impetus for development.

— Breathing new life while preserving all that is most beautiful and worthy is quite a difficult task. How do you see its solution? Will the Academy switch to the Bologna system, which is being introduced by the state?

- There will be no surgical interventions. But we will not pursue an isolating island policy either. All innovations must be thought out, justified, and the consequences of any actions calculated.

— Will new disciplines be introduced or will there be a stronger emphasis on modern technologies?

— In fact, all our problems come from a lack of humanitarian education. We must teach to look and see, to see and understand. Our students often look, but do not see, do not think, do not reflect.

— The St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, unlike most Academies in Europe, has retained the classical school. Are there plans to strengthen ties with the rest of the world? Any joint projects or student exchanges?

— There will definitely be joint programs. All this is being discussed. It is important to note that since the construction of the building by two architects (Russian Kokorinov and Frenchman Valen Delamote), the Academy has been an international space. Of course, now the tasks have changed, but communication with the world is necessary. Starting in our own city. The Academy has always had close ties with the Hermitage and the Russian Museum, but they were of a somewhat passive nature. Perhaps now is the time for joint programs, both on the territory of the Hermitage and the Russian Museum (by the way, initially, the so-called Benois building was created as an exhibition hall of the Imperial Academy of Arts), and on the territory of the Academy itself.

— What would you like to add from yourself?

“We call ourselves the legal successors of the Imperial Academy of Arts, we are experiencing the current situation, we complain that we have ceased to be supported and appreciated. But, first, we must understand ourselves, think about what is a tradition, what needs to be preserved, continued, developed. We must understand ourselves, our place in the cultural space. We need to give more meaning to our actions. We must make sure that after graduating from the Academy, a person can find his place in the world and feel worthy in it. We have a wonderful building - workshops, exhibition halls, a museum, a scientific library - a wonderful space for interesting projects. And an interesting life.

The commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, Semyon Mikhailovsky, spoke about what the Russian pavilion at the 15th Architecture Biennale will be like, why VDNKh was chosen as the theme of the project and what tasks he sets for himself as commissioner

After the expiration of the term of office of the founder and director Stella Art Foundation Stella Kesaeva In the post of Commissioner of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, this post was taken by the Rector of the St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin Semyon Mikhailovsky. Thus, he will now organize Russian exhibitions at both the art biennale and the architecture biennale until 2021. At the 15th Architectural Biennale, which opens on May 28 and will continue until November 27, Russia will present a project about VDNKh. The chief architect of Moscow has been appointed curator of the pavilion Sergey Kuznetsov, who suggested the topic, and co-curator - Ekaterina Pronicheva, director of VDNKh. When preparing the project for the last, 14th Architectural Biennale, Mikhailovsky replaced him as commissioner ahead of schedule Grigory Revzin, whose resignation was explained by the Ministry of Culture as being busy with creative and journalistic activities.

Semyon Mikhailovsky

Architectural historian

1961 born in Leningrad

1984 Graduated from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. I.E.Repina

St. Petersburg State Academic

2002 senior lecturer at the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. I.E.Repina

2007 Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for External Relations of the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. I.E.Repina

2010 Rector of the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after. I.E.Repina

2014 Commissioner of the Russian Pavilion at the 14th Architecture Biennale in Venice

2015 appointed Commissioner of the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art until 2021

Honorary Professor of the Moscow Architectural Institute, Shenzhen University

Do you already have an understanding of how the exhibition line in the Russian pavilion will develop until 2021?

Grigory Revzin, when he was a commissar, managed to find stories and consolidate resources for them. The last exhibition (it imitated a fair) that he did with Strelka received a special award at the Biennale. Rem Koolhaas, curator of the main project at that Architectural Biennale, developed an educational program for Strelka and could not help but support his students.

At art exhibitions Stella Kesaeva(commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the 54th - 56th Venice Biennale. - TANR) consistently represented Moscow conceptualists - Andrey Monastyrsky, Vadim Zakharova, Irina Nakhova— and focused on curators integrated into the global process.

I, in turn, am interested in telling a story that touches the heart, an intriguing and visually interesting story, necessarily connected with Russia. Not an easy task. By the way, next year marks the 100th anniversary of the socialist revolution. Why not talk about unrealized ideals? And the name is on the surface. Communism. This is not a statement, but the reflection of a person facing a choice.

So you not only do administration, but also participate in the creative process?

Previously, the commissioner took responsibility primarily for providing funding and solving organizational issues. Now these issues also need to be resolved. But I don’t see myself only as an administrator or producer. I am not a commissar who jingles the key to the pavilion and drives away the wolves with a Mauser. I have developed friendly relations with the curators of the exhibition about VDNKh, Sergei Kuznetsov and Ekaterina Pronicheva. We work together.

Which artists are you thinking of showing in the Russian pavilion next year?

I can’t give a definitive answer today. It is important for me that young people participate. Regardless of who curates the art exhibition and what the content is, they will definitely be there.

We have artists with names known not only within the country. They are well-educated, pleasant, witty people. But for me it is important, even regardless of what happens inside the pavilion, to use my position to help talented guys. I was lucky in life: they helped me, they supported me. Now I can help others. If another person comes, not from the field of education, it will be a different story.

I remember coming to Venice for the first time. We just walked around with our mouths open. Now, of course, everything is different, there is an opportunity to travel and communicate. And this year we will have students from St. Petersburg and Moscow.

How are the participants already?

There is a guy, talented, gifted, he makes wonderful analytical drawings that we want to show in the pavilion. Other students will go with him. We give them the opportunity to be involved in this big story - the biennale.

Why did you choose VDNKh as the main topic?

Promoting architectural bureaus is not very interesting. It would be possible to adapt to some discussed, politically correct topic... But I was born and raised in a country where many unusual things were created. The story of VDNKh seems intriguing to me, because we have moved so far away from that time and are at a sufficient distance to engage in Soviet archaeology.

The guy I mentioned was born after the collapse of the Soviet empire, for him VDNKh is something like a forum where there are pagan temples converted into basilicas. But if cows were grazed in the abandoned Roman forums, kebabs were fried here. I have an analogy between the young men who discovered antiquities in the mid-18th century, and the youth who recorded architectural forms in unexpected combinations, from spectacular angles. Piranesi sought to add drama to architecture. Today similar approaches to Soviet mannerism are possible.

Of course, such a presentation is not the only one at our exhibition. Below there will be a crypt with artifacts, at the top there will be a powerful video. Thanks to the fact that we connect the lower and upper spaces of the pavilion, a certain meaningful trajectory is built. We argued for a long time about how to move - from the bottom up or from the top down. Colleagues suggested going from darkness to light.

Now the term “Cold War” has begun to be heard again, and you are bringing a project related to the USSR to the Biennale. Could this be seen as an aggressive display of greatness?

There must be choice in art. To attract attention, you need a gesture, you need a statement, you need a story. In general, you should do something unexpected in the pavilion. Aravena(Alejandro Aravena, curator of the 15th Architecture Biennale in Venice. - TANR), by the way, is no stranger to certain rhetoric, he came up with this topic - Report from the front line, he likes being a hero, he feels good on the front line.

I'm sure problems arise when people are screwed over. Yes, there are differences in politics, but don't get too hung up on it. Culture unites, it is a territory where we can exist normally.

The trend toward a renaissance of socialist realism is becoming more and more noticeable, and many exhibitions on this topic are opening. Will it turn out that we will return to the situation during the USSR, when only artists recognized by the authorities were shown in the pavilion, while unofficial movements were demonstrated in the main curatorial project?

When this is discussed a lot and heatedly condemned, I have a desire to show socialist realism. Now seriously, to the point. I have not received any instructions from the Ministry of Culture and am doing what I consider necessary. In any case, there is no pressure on me, and I am grateful that they supported my idea with VDNKh. Stern people with wrenches - if you are talking about tightening screws - did not come to us.

What will the pavilion look like now?

At the previous Architectural Biennale, Sergei Kuznetsov - he is a perfectionist by nature - created a minimalist exhibition, but this one will be more intense. We discussed a lot about making sure everything fits together and fits together, so that there is no redundancy. Exhibition name - V.D.N.H: urban phenomenon. I like the abbreviation in it, but I would just leave the Cyrillic alphabet. Let the letters step through the dots. V.D.N.H., and then this is on duty urban phenomenon. Without him, they say, it’s impossible. They won't understand. You need to know and understand the abbreviation. This is true. But there can be attraction in strangeness.

Have you thought about improving the access to the lagoon, making a continuation of the VDNKh alleys there?

It is still difficult to work in Venice. Difficult and expensive from the point of view of management, logistics, and organization. There will be no alleys and lawns; everything will be limited to the walls of the pavilion, which have already returned to their original yellow color (for Irina Nakhova’s project in 2015, they were closed and painted green. - TANR).

The Ministry of Culture allocated 9 million rubles for the project, and how much does the Moscow government help?

I can say directly: if it were not for the Moscow government, this project would not have existed.

And who could finance exhibitions in the Russian pavilion next?

I don't know yet. Maybe times have changed and projects need to be budget friendly. I believe that we cannot act on the principle “we give the pavilion to those who have the capabilities.” It is not right. But to say that we are not at all interested in the issue of financing would be disingenuous.

Is it not difficult for you to combine such a wide range of responsibilities: you are both the rector and the commissioner?

It's not easy, especially in this day and age. But this is not a burden. I remember how, on one of our first visits to Venice, we were wondering who would come to the exhibition (then the Architecture Biennale was not as popular as it is now). In addition to the exhibition, we are preparing several other events, including a concert at the Goldoni Theater ahead of the grand opening on May 26. Will conduct Fabio Mastrangelo. We need synergy of events.

Support for creative youth is on the agenda. Today it is easier for young artists, musicians, and writers to express themselves than ever before. For several reasons. Firstly, there is a system of grants, a serious presidential program. Secondly, there are personal initiatives of cultural figures. Denis Matsuev and Valery Gergiev really help aspiring musicians from the most remote regions.

At the Vaganova Academy, my colleague and friend Nikolai Tsiskaridze dotes on talented students. We at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts involve them in international projects: for example, we recently opened an exhibition with the Japanese universities Masashino and Tama - “Overcoming” (previously it was in St. Petersburg) in the Moscow New Manege. Thanks to the exhibition, the guys received not only public recognition, but also their first orders.

Another advantage of our time: there are no restrictions, everything depends on talent. Of course, if we are talking about universities, teachers see the future of graduates differently. But it’s long gone that someone from above dictates to us what kind of art to support. In addition, previously a successful career in the arts was impossible without membership in creative unions - artists, composers, writers. And in order to enter there, again, it was necessary to have connections and go through the millstone of censorship.

Modern youth have absolute freedom, they are free to build their career as they see fit. Of course, this doesn't mean they don't have problems. Life is expensive in Moscow and St. Petersburg. During the learning process, children must constantly think about how to support themselves. Another problem is that in art schools and colleges they teach crafts, but they don’t always teach them to think and reflect. Here is a man, he is sitting, standing. Here is a still life, an apple, a samovar. Here is nature, there are trees, birds. Teachers chatter about “the human world” and “the breath of nature.” But the students look and don’t see - their horizons are limited by ugly sitters, dummies of fruit and the dull landscape outside the window.

This, in a sense, limits the horizons of a talented person. If he lives in a remote place, he develops a limited understanding of the world and art. And this can only be overcome by developing a common culture. It's not even about modern or non-contemporary art, but about educational methods.

Quite recently, we discussed with the Minister of Culture the issue of joining an art school to the Repin Institute (he insists that it should be a school, not a lyceum). The idea is clear, and I hope the association will help talented boys and girls. Although there is a risk that together with the school we will get unresolved and unsolvable problems. It is possible and necessary to reform art education, but this must be done taking into account all the circumstances. I hope that in this case this step will benefit everyone.

As for the academic tradition, it has its advantages. Those who accuse the Academy of Arts of conservatism do not think that the academic system is not only in demand, but economically justified. We have students from 33 countries, and they pay tuition. They come to us because we have preserved the traditions of the academic art school. If we were a peripheral school of contemporary art, we would hardly be in such demand.

But the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts is also heterogeneous. We have different faculties, different moods reign in them. For example, sculptors are extremely conservative, although they are young, energetic guys. And well, let them be like that. And there is a graphic arts department - they, on the contrary, are open to modern art, they have connections with the Paris Academy, their idol is Neo Rauch (German experimental artist - Izvestia), they are integrated into the European context. But the main thing is that we do not “spread rot” on anyone. On the contrary, we support it. Now it’s up to the young people to show what they are capable of and take advantage of the opportunities that the state gives them today. And not only the state.

The author is an art critic, curator, rector of the St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after. I.E. Repina, member of the presidium of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art, commissioner of the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale