CONTENTS Anatoly Shuravlev – Black Holes by Patrick Bussmann
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Works
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Exhibition Views
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Biography
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Imprint
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This catalogue was published on the occasion of Anatoly Shuravlev’s solo exhibition Black Holes Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland, from August 29 to November 8, 2008
Acknowledgements To the staff at Galerie Urs Meile in Lucerne, Nataline Colonnello, Enrico Polato, the crew at Pixel Grain
Anatoly Shuravlev – Black Holes by Patrick Bussmann
After his artist-in-residence stay and the “China Connection” exhibition at Galerie Urs Meile in Beijing last year, the Russian conceptual
Finally Anatoly Shuravlev demonstrates his mastery of multifarious media by a modification of his thang ka “Black Square for China”,
artist Anatoly Shuravlev (b. 1963), who usually lives in Berlin and Moscow, now presents a great diversity of new works at the Lucerne
originally presented in Beijing. Under the title “Black Square Hole” (silk, 300 x 220 cm) he shows a second thang ka in this exhibition.
gallery. The artist shows large-format black-and-white photographs, his installation “Black Holes” which he created especially for this
In Tibet these scroll-paintings are presumed to be representational gestures for deities and saints. By cutting out a square hole in the silk
exhibition, the thang ka “Black Square Hole” as well as a video production.
fabric, the artist questions the form and content of religiosity, thus putting forward a revolutionary reassessment of the thang ka.
The space-oriented installation consists of specks of bleeding black paint applied to the walls in a formalistic way. Viewed in its totality, the
The broad spectrum of these works operates at the level of various different mechanisms of perception, for viewers are faced with the
work may easily mislead the beholder as the overall effect is that of an abstract structure, and it is only upon closer inspection that one
challenge of not going through this exhibition in a routine manner but focusing their attention to very specific details. An impression
makes out the 10 mm small circular photographs at the center of each of those paint specks. They contain media images that the artist
of continuous homogeneity is achieved through the creative design and figuration. What may seem completely inconsequential at a
took with his analogue camera from the pool of the daily visual overkill in magazines, TV and the internet. By this perspective of both near
distance opens our eyes to fundamentally new perspectives when seen from up close. What’s more, Anatoly Shuravlev lets the viewers’
and far, “Black Holes” introduces the audience to a creative tension between form and content, artistic gesture and technical process.
imagination drift into black holes, as it were, but at the same moment he brings reality right to their doorstep. In conclusion, the artist himself sees his work as a holistically visualized process of empowerment: the viewers can discover the world for themselves and break with stereotypical patterns of perception.
A series of large black-and-white-prints (each 184 x 125 cm) shows one or several small illustrations on black ground. Because of the reflecting surface the shapes of these white “smudges” can be seen clearly only from up close. What one sees is, for instance, the contours of China. And by titling the piece “Big China”, Anatoly Shuravlev provokes an effect of form-content incongruity.
In another series of photographs, he tricks the audience by supercharging the meditatively colorful paintings of Mark Rothko with a distancing device: the large-scale black-and-white-prints (each approx. 120 x 125 cm) are reminiscent in form of illustrations in old art journals but here as well one notices highly irritating minimal “flaws”: Anatoly Shuravlev had asked the people working in his Berlin photo lab to guess at the original colors of Rothko’s paintings, which resulted in titles like “Almost Blue” that were then inserted at the corresponding place in the photo. For some time now, the artist has been combining photography and paintings by overpainting photos and finally photographing the end product again. It was based on this concept that he created his new series of thang kas (Tibetan scroll-paintings).
“Cinemabooks” is Shuravlev’s title for a series that was inspired by Chinese flip books. He photographed them page by page and now presents the overall impression as a photo collage (c-prints, each approx. 120 x 242 cm).
For the first time, he will also show a video production, in which he refers to the principle of small formats (8 x 10 mm), reproducing the images on an iPod screen. It shows a clip from Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”, with Jack Nicholson hacking his way through a door with an axe.
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Works
“Big China” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 180 x 125 cm
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“Big China” (detail)
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“Great Britain” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 181 x 126 cm
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“Great Britain” (detail)
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“Big Japan” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 183 x 126 cm
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“Big Japan” (detail)
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“007” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 185 x 126 cm
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“007” (detail)
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“Big Panic” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 181 x 125.5 cm
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“Big Panic” (detail)
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“Panic” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 185 x 124 cm
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“Panic” (detail)
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“Portrait of Future” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 181.5 x 126 cm
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“Portrait of Future” (detail)
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“Past” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 185 x 126 cm
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“Past” (detail)
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“Heavy” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 185 x 124 cm
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“Heavy” (detail)
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detail
“Rothko 1” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 112 x 126 cm
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detail
“Rothko 5” 2008 c-print, acrylic glass 142 x 126 cm
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detail
“Rothko 6” 2008, edition of 3 c-print, acrylic glass 149 x 126 cm
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“Cinema Books N. 2” 2007, edition of 5 c-print, acrylic glass 120 x 242 cm
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“Cinema Books N. 3” 2007, edition of 5 c-print, acrylic glass 120 x 243 cm
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“Black Holes - 1” 2008 acrylic paint and c-prints on wooden board 187 x 129 x 7.5 cm
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“Black Holes - 2” 2008 acrylic paint and c-prints on wooden board 187 x 129 x 7.5 cm
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“Black Holes - 3” 2008 acrylic paint and c-prints on wooden board 187 x 129 x 7.5 cm
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“Hole of Black Square” 2008 silk, acrylic paint 300 x 220 cm
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“Wave” 2008 video on iPod, passepartout, frame frame 70 x 50 cm, video 8 x 10 mm
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“Big Hole” 2008 video on iPod, passepartout, frame frame 70 x 50 cm, video 8 x 10 mm
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“Wave” (video stills)
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“Big Hole” (video stills)
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“Explosion” (video stills)
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Exhibition Views
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Anatoly Shuravlev 1963
Born in Moscow, Russia
Selected Group Exhibitions
lives in Moscow, Russia and Berlin, Germany 2007
“Summer Sale”, gmg Gallery Marina Goncharenko, Moscow, Russia Collection of DZ BANK, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary
Selected Solo Exhibitions 2008
“Black Holes”, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Lucerne, Swizerland “UNNAMED”, gmg Gallery Marina Goncharenko, Moscow, Russia
2007
“China Connection”, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Beijing, China
2006
“Anatoly Shuravlev”, Gallery Charim, Vienna, Austria
2005
“Infrathin”, special project of the 1st Moscow Biennale, Foundation Contemporary City, Moscow, Russia “Anatoly Shuravlev”, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland “Anatoly SHURAVLEV”, Marina Gizith Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia
“Through the ‘Painting’”, special project of the 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia Collection of Pierre Broche, Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia 2006
“Artist Against the State: Perestroika Revisited”, Ronald Feldmann Gallery, New York, USA
2005
1st Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia “Hier/anderswo”, Kunstpanorama, Lucerne, Switzerland Group Show, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2004
“Retrospective”, Moscow House of Photography, Moscow, Russia
2003
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2002
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, Charim Gallery, Vienna, Austria “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2004
“Shizorama”, National Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia “To the Resort!”, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden, Germany and the MANEGE Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia Collection of DZ Bank, Moscow House of Photography, Moscow, Russia
2003
“Landscape”, Virginia Miller Gallery, Miami, USA Group Show, Charim Gallery, Vienna, Austria
2002
“Present Tense”, Bard College Museum, New York, USA “Trazit”, René Steiner Gallery, Erlach, Switzerland “New Models”, Trafo Center for Contemporary art, Budapest, Hungary
2001
“Templates”, Gary Tatinsian Gallery, New York, USA “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Otto Schweins Gallery, Cologne, Germany
2001
Group Show, Virginia Miller Gallery, Miami, USA “Art Workshop. 28 Russian Artists”, Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia
2000
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
1999
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
1998
“History”, Labor Pixel Grain, Berlin, Germany “Hand made”, Otto Schweins Gallery, Cologne, Germany
1997
“Templates”, Galerie Urs Meile, Lucerne, Switzerland “Flowers of Moscow”, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
1996
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia
1995
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, La Base, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Levallois, Paris, France “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Show Room Specks Hof, Leipzig, Germany “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Otto Schweins Gallery, Cologne, Germany
Group Show, Charim Gallery, Vienna, Austria 2000-2001 “Through the Looking Glass”, Gallery Fricke, Berlin and Düsseldorf, Germany 2000
Group Show, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia “BMA. Position New Art from Berlin”, Neuer Kunstverein, Aschaffenburg, Germany “Perche?”, Domus Academy Milan and Magazzino d’Arte Moderna, Rome, Italy
1999-2001 “After the Wall”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden, Museum Ludwig, Budapest, Hungary, and Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany “Can You Hear Me? Ars Baltica Triennial of Photographic Art”, State Gallery in Sophienhof, Kiel, Germany, Center for Contemporary Art, Vilnius, Lithuania, Kunsthalle Rostock, Rostock, Germany, Bergens Kunstforening, Bergen, Norway, and Gallery Otso, Espoo, Finland 1999-2000 “Missing Link”, Kunstmuseum Bern, Berne, Switzerland and Kunsthaus Dresden, Dresden, Germany 1999 1994
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, Sammlung René Steiner, Erlach, Switzerland “Ab Realibus ad Realiora”, Kunstwerke, Berlin, Germany and State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia “Anatoly Zhuravlev”, New Academy of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Russia
1993
“Ignotum per Ignotius”, 1.0 Gallery, Moscow, Russia “Attempt to See”, Galerie im Literaturforum Brecht-Ilaus, Berlin, Germany
1992
“Anatolij Shuravlev”, The Senate of Berlin, Berlin, Germany “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany “Anatolij Shuravlev”, Giorgio Persano Gallery, Turin, Italy
“SPACE PLACE 30049-180799”, Kunsthalle Tirol, Hall, Austria “Children of Berlin”, P. S. 1 Museum for Contemporary Art, New York, USA 1998
“European Photography Biennale”, The MANEGE Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia
1997
“Kabinet. A Contemporary Artists Magazine”, Stedlijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands “Acting out History”, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Perm, Novosibirsk and Ekaterinburg, Russia “Mystical Correct”, Galerie Hohenthal & Bergen, Berlin, Germany
1996 1990
90
“Maria Serebryakova & Anatolij Shuravlev”, Inter-Art Gallery, Berlin, Germany
“Zwischenformen aktueller Kunst”, Freunde aktueller Kunst e.V., Zwickau, Germany
“ European Photography Biennale”, Kuznetskij Most, Moscow, Russia “Almost Invisible”, Ehemaliges Umspannwerk, Singen, Germany
91
1995-1996 “Landschaft. Mit dem Blick der 90er Jahre”, Mittelrhein-Museum, Koblenz, Museum Schloss Burgk, Saale and Haus am Waldsee, Berlin, Germany
1989
“Expensive Art”, Palace of Youth, Moscow, Russia “A. Kirtsova, M. Serebryakova, A. Zhuravlev”, Garage Gallery, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1995
“Das Medium der Photographie in der zeitgenössischen Kunst”, Galerie Dacic, Tübingen, Germany
“Installation”, Garage Gallery, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
“Kunst im Verborgenen. Nonkonformisten Russland 1957-1995”, Collection of Contemporary Art of Tsritsino Museum, Moscow, Russia, Wil-
“Cheap Art”, 1st Gallery, Moscow, Russia
helm-Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen-am-Rhein, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel and Staatliches Museum Lindenau, Altenburg, Germany
“Exhibition of Unfinished Works”, K. Zvezdochetov’s studio, Furmanny Lane, Moscow, Russia
“Configura 2. Dialog der Kulturen”, Erfurt, Germany
“Moskau-Wien-New York/Kunst zur Zeit”, Messepalast Wiener Festwochen, Austria
“Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie”, Arles, France
“Perspectives of Conceptualism”, Peresvetov Lane, Moscow, Russia
“Kraftemessen. Zeichnungen der Moscauer Szene”, Galerie Hohenthal & Littler, Munich, Germany 1988 1994
“New Artists”, Moscow Electrotechnical Works Club, Moscow, Russia
“Kunst: Sprache”, Kunstwerke, Berlin, Germany
“Bath-House” (exhibition and performance organized by Avantgarde Club), Sanduni Bath-House, Moscow, Russia
“Moscow Artists of the 90s”, Central Artist’s House, Moscow, Russia
“Labyrinth”, Palace of Youth, Moscow, Russia
“Renaissance and Resistance”, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia and Cetinjski Bijenale II, Cetine, Montenegro
“XVIII Exhibition of Young Artists”, The MANEGE Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow, Russia
XXII Biennale di Sao Paolo, São Paulo, Brazil “Project for Europe”, Copenhagen, Denmark
1987
1993
“Philosophy of the Name”, Centre of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia
“Dwelling”, Hermitage Amateur Society, Profsoyznaya Street No. 100, Moscow, Russia “Retrospective of Moscow Artists. 1957-1987”, Hermitage Amateur Society, Profsoyznaya St. No. 100, Moscow, Russia
“Engel heute”, Galerie Gottfried Hafemann, Wiesbaden, Germany 1986
“XVII Exhibition of Young Artists”, Kuznetsky Most, Moscow, Russia “Art Against Commerce”, Bitsa Park, Moscow, Russia
“Collection d’Art Contemporain RINACO. Moscou 1993”, Caisse des Depots et Consignations, Paris, France “Privat”, Kunstwerke, Berlin, Germany “Without Trace”, Altes Rathaus, Potsdam, Germany
1992
1985
“Autumn Exhibition”, Malaya Gruzinskaya No. 28, Moscow, Russia
“Conversion”, M. Guelman’s Gallery and Central Artist’s House, Moscow, Russia
“Exhibition of Moscow Artists”, Kuznetsky Most, Moscow, Russia
“Nine Artists from Moscow”, Galerie Rigassi, Berne, Switzerland
“One-Day Exhibition”, Kuznetsky Most, Moscow, Russia
“Perspectives of Conceptualism”, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, USA “37 Räume”, Kunstwerke, Berlin, Germany “The Fall. The One and the Other”, Immo Art Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium “a Mosca... a Mosca...”, Villa Campoleto, Ercolano and Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna, Bologna, Italy
1991
“Police Raid”, Chistoprudny Gallery, Moscow, Russia “Perspectives of Conceptualism”, The University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Honolulu and Clocktower Gallery, New York, USA “In de USSR en Erbuiten”, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands “Holy Week”, 1st Gallery, Moscow, Russia “Europe Unknown”, Palace of Arts, Krakow, Poland “Private Pursuits”, 1.0 Gallery, Moscow, Russia “Contemporary Soviet Art: from the Thaw to Perestroika”, Collection of Contemporary Art of Tsaritsino Museum, Moscow, Russia and Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan “Novecento”, L Gallery, Moscow, Russia “Vizbah/In the Rooms”, Dom Kultury, Bratislava, Slovakia “Russian Art”, Rotunda, Hongkong
1990
“Mosca, Moskva, Moscow”, Sala Umberto Boccioni, Milan, Italy “Towards the Object”, Kashirka Gallery, Moscow, Russia “Catalogue”, Palace of Youth, Moscow, Russia “Artedomani’ 90. Punto di Vista”, Ex-Ostedale San Matteo degli Infermi, Spoletto, Italy “Schiso-China” (organized by Avantgarde Club), French Embassy, Moscow, Russia “Art Summer”, Split, Yugoslavia
1989-90
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“10+10”, Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, Albert Knox Gallery, New York, Milwaukee Art Museum, Fort Worth and Corcoran Gallery, Washington, USA, and Central Artist’s House, Moscow, Russia
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Published by: Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne Edited by: Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne Text: Patrick Bussmann Translation: Werner Richter Copy Editing: Karin Seiz Design: Li Jianhui Photography: Christoph Eckert and Patrick Bussmann Š 2008 Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne, Anatoly Shuravlev All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN-13: 978-3-9523342-0-1 Printed in China
Galerie Urs Meile, no.104, Caochangdi, Chaoyang District, PRC -100015 Beijing,T+ 86 10 643 333 93 Galerie Urs Meile, RosenberghĂśhe 4, 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland, T+ 41 41 420 33 18 galerie@galerieursmeile.com, www.galerieursmeile.com
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