A3 / 30 (collection as evidence of historical observations)

Despite the fact that time is a relative category, thirty years can be considered quite a serious age, especially when it comes to an art institution. It is necessary to resort to this term because the concepts of “gallery”, “exhibition hall”, “exposition area” do not give an accurate idea of what “Gallery A3” actually is.

Its history begins in 1986, during the late USSR and the early “perestroika” (for those who remember this word, additional comments are not needed). Then a sign of upcoming changes and a certain weakening of ideological control was the decision to organize their exhibition space in each district of Moscow; So in the Kiev region was created "Exhibition Hall" Arbat ". These regional venues became almost the first official place where art events of a completely new level of freedom could take place. Today, the normal practice of a young artist immediately begins with participation in exhibitions, and it is difficult for many to imagine how things were just recently. The artist could wait for the appearance of his work at the next collective exhibition for years, and for a personal one not earlier than the fifth anniversary. Those for whom creative freedom was primarily important, were forced into a parallel life - a kind of reservation in the format of “apartments”, behind closed doors of workshops, or in more or less underground actions organized in places nominally not related to art, but with the careful custody of the "competent authorities". In fairness, it should be noted that often the role of the censor was played not so much by the monstrous state apparatus as by its own “colleagues” from official creative unions, therefore it was the new halls that were not accountable to them that began to turn into a kind of “territory of freedom”.

The Arbat exhibition hall immediately outlined its strategy - to introduce new art, to return the names of undeservedly and tragically forgotten authors; and, most importantly, to look for the lost connections of time and artistic contexts. Among the significant events of those years are the exhibitions of artists of the 1920s and 1930s (group “13”; A. A. Rybnikov); an exhibition of artists participating in the first Sotheby’s auction in Moscow, an exhibition of the poster, the first international projects with the participation of Germany and Italy. The names exhibited in this now historical period do not need additional representations - Ilya Kabakov, Eduard Gorokhovsky, Vladimir Weisberg, Katya Medvedeva, Garif Basyrov, and many other bright characters of our art scene. It will probably be difficult to find the now famous author, whose archive would not have an exhibition in the “house with the Atlanteans”.

In 1992, a reorganization took place, as a result of which the Arbat Exhibition Hall received a new name, which bears to this day - Gallery A3, and acquired the status of a museum-type gallery-exhibition hall. This made it possible to conduct not only exhibition, but also research work, and what is especially important is to begin the formation of our own collection. This very difficult task, including multiple approvals, preparation of a huge number of documents, was able to solve the director of the exhibition hall Vitaly Kopachev, at that time the youngest, most energetic and ambitious among the leaders of the exhibition halls in Moscow.

Over the thirty years of its history, the number of exhibitions held has steadily approached a four-digit figure, but Gallery A3 is not characterized by mathematical indicators.

What makes it unique is the principle that A3 has followed all these years: to show the multilayered nature of the ongoing artistic processes. It is an idea to create a kind of “assembly point” of various directions, a meeting space for the mainstream and outsiders, associations and singles, masters and young authors. The gallery’s mission is not to claim the formation of artistic reality, but to testify of what is happening “here and now”.

Another, no less important feature of Gallery A3 is its non-commercial status, which provides it with real independence: the art market is very moody, and in addition, it is still poorly formed in Russia. Many, not only beginning authors, but quite successful and successful ones, may be out of work, and most recently departed artists quickly find themselves in oblivion.

The role of the state cultural institution - “Gallery A3” is to help young people express themselves, and those who have taken part, show their new experiences; preserve the memory of undeservedly forgotten names. This is the task of preserving culture, which does not imply, moreover, is impossible in terms of the immediate extraction of material profit.

A symbolic embodiment of the ideas of Gallery A3 was its collection, which has been forming since the beginning of the 90s on a voluntary and free basis; Today it has more than 600 items. That is why the anniversary exhibition is formed on the basis of selected works from the gallery funds - as a living narration about our common history.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on October 05 at 19.00

The exhibition runs from October 5 to October 09, 2016.

Daily, except Mondays from 12.00 to 20.00