Apartment exhibition in Bronnitskaya. 1981. Reconstruction of events

“From the art community that was formed“ on Bronnitskaya ”, masters emerged who today determine the artistic situation in St. Petersburg and Russian art. "A. Khlobystin" Bronnitskaya culture ", August 2001

Housing exhibitions are a phenomenon that became widespread in the USSR among unofficial art of the 1960s and 80s of the last century under the influence of an ideological factor: nonconformist artists who did not follow the ideology imposed by the state in art and therefore had no chance to exhibit their works at official exhibition venues, organized "underground" exhibitions in residential apartments. The organization, and the attendance of such exhibitions, was regarded by state security agencies as ideological sabotage, the exhibitions were closed, their participants were persecuted.

The apartment exhibition “on Bronnitskaya”, which took place in November 1981 in the apartment of Natalia Kononenko on 1/3 Bronnitskaya St. and lasted only 4 days (November 14–17), is one of the most important events in the history of contemporary art. Despite the sign, to date, the event remains an almost unexplored stage in the history of Leningrad-Petersburg art. It was this exhibition that served as the beginning of TEII’s self-organization: the Partnership of Experimental Fine Arts (1981–1991) - an unofficial organization that united on a democratic basis the next generation of nonconformist artists.

The exposition in the Small Hall of the Borey Gallery will present to the public 20 documentary photographs depicting the participants of the exhibition “on Bronnitskaya”, as well as some of its exhibits. With this exhibition, we plan to start an “interactive” project of the Artnasos Mnemozin Gallery, the purpose of which is to find and interview eyewitnesses, restore events previous and subsequent to significant events in the history of non-conformism, collect as much information as possible about the atmosphere, artists, visitors and exhibits. The curators of the project will be grateful to everyone who can share their memories, photos, or any other materials related in any way to these events. Upon receipt, new materials will be published on the Artnasos gallery website, and expositions will be supplemented.