Exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of Ernst Unknown, opened at the Central Exhibition Hall "Manege"

MOSCOW. Manezh Central Exhibition Hall invites fans of Ernst Unknown to attend an exhibition dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the outstanding sculptor and artist. The opening of the exhibition was made possible thanks to collector Felix Komarov, the founder of the Russian World Gallery art gallery, who presented paintings, graphics and monumental sculptures by Ernst Unknown for display at the Manege.

Felix Komarov is connected with the famous sculptor both long-term friendship and business cooperation. The collector, in whose collection there is a considerable number of works by Ernst Neizvestny, a Russian master who was forced to emigrate in 1976, is his official representative in Russia.

For visitors to the exhibition who are familiar with the artist’s difficult biography, the name “Return to the Arena” was a memory of the 1962 exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Moscow Artists Union. It was attended by the work of Ernst Unknown. The exhibition was remembered by the participants for the appearance on it of Nikita Khrushchev, provoked in advance by a negative attitude to their work.

Khrushchev’s scandalous phrases made at the exhibition significantly influenced the fate of many artists, including Ernst Unknown. Many years later, Khrushchev not only changed his mind about the works of the authors, offended by him at the infamous exhibition, but also expressed a desire to order one of them his future tombstone. The author of the monument was Ernst Unknown.

After 54 years of work, the outstanding master once again housed in the exhibition space of the Manege. At the exhibition “Return to the Manege”, which opened on January 5, more than one hundred works by Ernst Unknown are presented. A catalog has been released for its opening.

Ludmila Trautmane © Gallerix.ru