Napoleon, Lenin, Brezhnev, and other odious historical figures of all times through the prism of subtle irony; bestiary of subconscious, archaic symbolism and modern mythology in a series of paintings by Svitlana Kondratenko (an artist from Kyiv) open the renovated exposition hall of the Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine.
More than 60 works of art and graphics will be presented in front of the audience as part of the personal exhibition of the artist from January 21st, 2011 till February 18th, 2011.
This is the first major representation of her works: compositions from the early works, particularly, “History at the table”, and other recent works of 2009-2011, that’s why most part of it will be presented to the visitors for the first time.
The art expert and curator of the exhibition, Mariana Musiy says, “The works of Svitlana Kondratenko are visually diversified and conceptually integral, they show the true experimental potential of the artist displayed in the postmodern game. The exhibition shows unprecedentedly divergent expressions of creative individuality of the artist.
The series of “History at the table” brings the style of “historical painting” back to life trying to be ironical over official, standard understanding of political figures of all times – a so called local “dispel of the personality cult” where “the leaders of the nations” turn into the animated characters just a bit more difficult than they are themselves.
The final cycles showed an ironical almost exaggerated exposal of clapped into the subconsciousness desires and secret fantasies with the extreme retro-esthetics and erotic dominant. The surrealist compositions appeal to irrational origin and collective uncondiciousness on the brink of dreaming and immersion into the prehistoric state of consciousness.
The audience may easily get lost in the layers of sense and interlacing of their interpretation. Though it was always a game unobstructed by the rules, a game you can or cannot join – the works let you feel the immanent presence of the artist that is a bit like a fox – one of her favorite characters – which is intricately smiling with one of its eyes narrowed and looking at us:
“What about your sense of humor, ladies and gentlemen?”.
For seeing the photo-report from the opening of the exhibition click here.
The audience may easily get lost in the layers of sense and interlacing of their interpretation. Though it was always a game unobstructed by the rules, a game you can or cannot join – the works let you feel the immanent presence of the artist that is a bit like a fox – one of her favorite characters – which is intricately smiling with one of its eyes narrowed and looking at us: “What about your sense of humor, ladies and gentlemen?” Mariana Musiі
