Tetiana SAVCHENKO: Tryptykh Gallery has beaten all Ukrainian records in the field

The Day met with the art gallery’s director Tetiana Savchenko, who kindly agreed to an interview in conjunction with the gallery’s anniversary.

Ms. Savchenko, your art gallery is quite mature, entering its third decade of activity. What about the last year? Any good news over the last twelve months?

“The Tryptykh Gallery has beaten all Ukrainian records in the field. We’ve been in operation for 21 years, which is quite long and very impressive for all our business counterparts, considering the red tape and other hardships every art gallery has had to wade through to survive, let alone develop for so many years. Every two weeks Tryptykh offers a new display. As a rule, at the launch ceremony I say: ‘The Tryptykh Gallery is still in business, doing a good job, despite all the problems.’ I’m very proud to state that this gallery has become more refined over the past couple of years — I mean the works of art on display.”

With the financial crisis and some art galleries closing, new ones emerge, like the M17 Modern Art Center, a large-scale project launched this summer. What do you think about this?

“I felt happy about the event. I’m a friendly creature, hopefully objectively so, I love my profession, and I think that a degree of healthy competition gives an impetus to creative stamina. Recently I watched the First National Channel’s program Krasyvo (It’s Beautiful!). I think M17 was directly involved and it made me feel happy, too.”

Ms. Savchenko, you travel a lot. Does your schedule allow a visit to foreign art galleries? If so, what’s the difference?

“For all I know, we don’t have the contemporary art trend which is very much in demand across the world; I mean hi-tech art photography, video art. I saw pictures on display at M17, meant as works of contemporary art by the organizers, yet I could identify only several such works from amidst the hundreds on display. Well, ambiguous formulas make up another component of Ukraine’s creative domain. In the West, contemporary art has clearly outlined boundaries, confirmed by leading art critics, with the best samples purchased by prestigious museums. We have to travel a very long road to match their practice (sighing).

“I’m convinced that every art gallery must have a niche at its core. This is my principled stand. I will ne-ver abandon it. Academic values are doubtlessly held high by Tryptykh: the artist’s ability to apply the chiaroscuro technique, which is perennial, although often accused of being unreal and on the verge of extinction these days, especially when compared to photos. I think such allegations make no sense. I visited London recently and once again found myself mesmerized by its museums. While at the National Gallery, I found myself being inexorably drawn to the Modigliani, whose reproductions I’d seen hundreds of times. I saw the original and was overwhelmed by the energy the canvas produced: love, drama, light, all human values put together. You won’t believe me, but I started crying, telling myself such works of art are immortal, no matter what the critics say… That’s why I have good artists on display at my gallery. I will keep doing so, although this doesn’t mean that works of contemporary art will be barred access. Such exhibits will mean an exception from the rule that will serve to reaffirm the rule (chuckling).”

Suppose you could stage personal exhibits at your gallery. Whose works would you display?

“Frankly speaking, there have been various favorites at different periods… I love Goya. I’m transfixed by Velazquez; I can watch his canvases of human flesh for hours. Perhaps this is the greatest mystery that doesn’t have to be solved, just allowed to exist. As mentioned earlier, I’m thrilled by the tragic figure of Modigliani. Also, I love Vermeer and hold Picasso in esteem with his adventurism combined with great talent, producing an unmatched result. Extraordinary personalities have always attracted me, among them my contemporaries like Ilia Isupov and Vlada Ralko. I think both of them have a big future.”

Should you have to make a present to anyone from this celebrated community, whose piece would you choose?

“I would take a canvas by Alexander Zhyvotkov and one by Matvei Weisberg.”