Authors of the project about the exhibition:
Today is time of clichés, simulacras and quotes. The individuality becomes blurred, in art as well, especially in an accessible art like photography. Ukraine, having no strong photographic traditions, is a fertile soil for the expression of this phenomena. In the prevailing atmosphere of pessimism and skepticism persist bright creative individualities.
Instead of increasing number of unconstructive comments, we take the function to show an interesting look at the world — both internal and external — that exists, regardless of rather unfavorable discourse. There is nothing in common between presented artists but one, special look implemented through photography
Choosing photographers, we have tried to move away from assertion and actuality, and focused on the world, which is expressed through the prism of the own ideas, twisted by personal experience and imagination, unique and bright, full of implications and reflections.
With the assistance of “New aesthetic of Ukrainian photos”, UPHA, Mbition Art Project Studio and Olympus
September 27 – October 14, 2012
In association with Bardens Boudouir, Leisure presents the second of it’s summer exhibitions at a brand new space in the heart of the East End. A group photography show ‘Cult of the Body’, curated by Misha Pedan, founder of the collective, Ukrainian Photographers Alternative.
As the storm of Olympia congests over London, UPHA members present to us, a view of the body, stripped down, muscular, torn, naked, twisted, hidden, bare, pouting, bent over, lonely, a single room, three walls, crowded with prints. A body of work exposing the human form, both distorted and pure, through the eyes post communist Ukraine.
Artists include:
Vita Bujvid
Pyatkovka Roman
Aleksandr Chekmenev
Sergey Melnitchenko
Valentin Bobik
Valera and Natasha Cherkashin
Vasilisa Nezabarom and Juli Drozdek
Marina Frolova
Denis Kravets
Elena Bulygina
Jaroslav Solop
Maria Vojnova
Opening Hours:
Friday 27th July – Sunday 29th July (12-6pm)
Thursday 2nd August – Sunday 5th August (12-6pm)
36 Stoke Newington Road London, N16 7XJ
(next door to Bardens Boudoir)
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These photographs are blocks of ice drifting across the black river and under the black skies. In them, memories of the good old “porno-bodies” and “porno-love” are reflected. They have cracked, burst and now they feel sad…
“Games of Libido” is a kind of artistic rite, though the state of this game is a kind of “love-hate”, or ambivalent, itself.
Roman Pyatkovka never thought that photography will become sense of his life. Having worked at a dramatic theatre for 8 years, he suddenly leaves it and is seriously carried away by “photo-art”. Boris Mikhailov, one of the most prominent photo-painters of the world (also the laureate of the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography) became his teacher and tutor.
Roman held more than 30 collective and personal photo-exhibitions. His well-known projects are: “Golodomor. Phantoms of 30 years”, “I come from the childhood”, “Games of Libido”, “Wrong picture” and they are now displayed in the Museum of Photography Collections (Russia, Moscow), The National Center for Contemporary Art (NCCA) (Russia, Moscow), Museum Ken Damy (Italy, Bresha), Museum of Contemporary Photography ( USA, Chicago).
“In the art of photography, as in any other art, self-analysis, self-deepening, spiritual exhibitionism and creating the dramatic concept of your own sensations are important”, asserts Roman Pyatkovka.
This exhibition was structured in two parts — alternative young photography curated by Misha Pedan (UPHA) and more traditional selected by Vadim Kozlovsky from National Ukrainian Photography Organization. Both parts resembled their views on condition and future of young ukrainian photography and explored questions about avantgarde and novelty of curatorial process vs traditionalism, how alternative is the actually alternative and how exactly classic is classic. Some of selected UPHA names include Mariya Voynova, Valentyn Bobyk, Roman Zakervsky, Vadym Trykoz, Yuriy Salabay, Bogdan Gulay etc.
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