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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Kings, Queens, and Pawns

15 December, 1998 - 00:00

By Oleh  SYDOR-HIBELINDA
Another art gallery, the Soviart Modern Art Center, has joined the nice
little crowd of Kolta, Grifon, Akvarel, and Mystetsky Liokh on Kostiolna
Street. The Pechersk district state administration remains true to its
initiative. Once a small quiet street in the dead center of the city, associated
perhaps with only the old Planetarium, Kostiolna has become Andriyivsky
uzviz's major rival practically overnight.

The new gallery, with its almost 100 square meters of exposition space
looking like a million dollars after a costly "European repair," selects
its artists carefully and unerringly. With some (e.g., Kryvolap, Babak)
its plans a long and fruitful cooperation, meaning that their works will
be displayed not only in Ukraine, but also abroad - e.g., in Germany next
year. Mr. Babak contributed his Seven Exercises for Soviart's debut.
The first step is always the hardest. The debut is no exception, especially
considering the artist's several recent expositions that turned out very
good conceptually. A suspicion creeps into one's mind: maybe the greater
part of modern Ukrainian abstractionism is just one big illusion? What
is happening? Is this art reviving or decaying, degrading? One thing is
certain: official recognition has done it no good.

A sequel to Soviart's practice, although not on the up and coming side
(all the names are familiar), is secured a certificate of quality (Kyiv
does not like experimentation). The gallery's geography: Kharkiv, Odesa,
Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv. The young artists with their psychedelics, the
"authentic ones" like Mykola Malyshko. The "new forms" like Uti Kilter's
videos, the maitres Messrs. Babak, Kryvolap, Budnykov. And the show goes
on. A new game of chess begins with the familiar kings, queens, and pawns
positioned on Kyiv's cultural map. The players deserve credit for one thing:
they contain no realists, for the latter have enough exhibit halls and
to spare.

 

 

 

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