Exposition "Transformatio. Contemporary Art of Dagestan"

Exposition “Transformatio. Dagestan’s Contemporary Art ”unites a narrow circle of contemporary artists working in Makhachkala, Moscow and London. These are Magomed Kazhlaev, Aladdin Garunov, Ibrahimkhalil Supyanov, Apandi Magomedov, Eduard Puterbrot, Taus Makhacheva, Natalia Mali, Murad Khalilov. Their work has developed as a real alternative to official art, it exists in an atmosphere of free competition of artistic ideas, in a lively variety of style manners, when modern world trends are refracted, passing through the prism of national philosophy.

The Latin word in the name of the exhibition means "transformation, transformation." Transformation is the basis of creativity, a natural process in the course of the development of art as the most important sphere of human activity.

To one degree or another, the work of each master is intonationally connected with Dagestan. We are not talking about a direct ethnic group, but what is called the "genius of the place", in different ways, manifests itself in the works of all artists. This may be an appeal to the traditions of the peoples of Dagestan, to decorative and applied art (motifs of stone and wood carving), landscape, characters, a special philosophy that distinguishes the inhabitants of the republic from other peoples. It is not so important whether the artist works in his homeland or ended up in another country - the Dagestan “handwriting” is visible in his work.

In the works of the masters, there is a balance between ethnic identity and inner freedom, between aesthetic norms that have developed over the centuries and new demands that have arisen under the influence of world culture of the 20th century.

The abstractions of Magomed Kazhlaev (painting), Ibragimkhalil Supyanova (painting, graphics, sculpture), Apandi Magomedova (painting, three-dimensional objects) act as a single block. The late artist and philosopher Edward Puterbrot became their spiritual teacher. Each of these masters, with all their common restraint and laconicism of images, has their own unique style. At the same time, the artists feel a spiritual community, as if they only know the secret language with its symbols and signs.

Aladdin Garunov is an experimenter who turns to the most unexpected materials for painting in his work, uses fragments of carpets and fur, rubber, plastic, etc. His works are monumental. He reflects on the modern world with its globalization, erasing national and religious characteristics. The mass culture that nurtures pop art and ethnic tradition are in many ways incompatible concepts. The artist turns to this borderline, the struggle of opposites, bringing the images to a pure metaphor.

Taus Makhacheva, who was educated in Moscow and London, is a bright representative of not only Dagestan, but also world contemporary art, the winner of many international competitions, whose works are acquired by major museums. In his video works and performances, Taus constantly addresses the theme of Dagestan, linking ancient history, culture and modernity.

Natalia Mali lives and works in London. She graduated from the Department of Cinema and Contemporary Photography at Yale University, USA. Exhibited since 2000, Natalia gained fame in such areas as production photography, video art, installation, collage and performance. Her collective images are based on a long-term study of the history and culture of her people.

Murad Khalilov’s paintings and drawings are incredibly expressive, and his video art reflects on the surrounding reality, modern realities and echoes of the past.

Until recently, the custom existed in the mountain villages of Dagestan: during the construction of a new dwelling, the family carried patrimonial pillars carrying the roof of the house from the old walls. These pillars are decorated with whimsical carvings - solar symbols, ancient signs. In addition to utilitarian purposes, they performed sacred functions, protecting the family from misfortunes. Generic pillars represent the genetic memory and connection of time. Echoes of ancient customs, like these patrimonial pillars, we find in the works of modern Dagestan artists.

In the summer of 2018, the exhibition “Transformatio. The contemporary art of Dagestan ”was successfully held in St. Petersburg at the Erarta Museum of Modern Art.

The exhibition presents about a hundred works from the collections of the Mardzhani Foundation (Moscow), as well as from the collections of artists participating in the exhibition.

Project Curator: Maria Filatova