GUP #022 - Russia

022.

Guide to Unique Photography Europe e 5,t h e r u s s i a i s s ue

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russia

Š Photograph by Rob Hornstra

intro

Covering an area of 17,098,242 km², Russia is the largest country in the world. And with 140 million inhabitants, made up of around 160 different ethnic groups and indigenous peoples, also one of the most diverse. A superpower with a history that is as turbulent as it is rich. A superpower in search of a suitable form of democracy. A superpower that sometimes still reverts to its old Soviet ways. Modern Russia means falling down and getting up again. But have you ever looked at this giant properly? Talent from the West and Russia itself reveals the country in its broadest and most individual form. In short, meet the Russians.

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08 news GUP nominated for Lucie Award, Google Analytics for photographers, competitions, awards and much more.

14 books International photography books just released or with Russia as their theme.

23 the shadow archives The many marvels of Sovjet science.

24 photo file Alexander Rodchenko: The rise and fall.

26 viewbook results The winners of our international photo competition in collaboration with Viewbook.

28 column Audrey Mast on Boris Savelev.

30 interview Rob Hornstra about The Sochi Project.

42 portfolio Alla Esipovich The transformation of a Russian identity.

50 portfolio Simon Roberts A visual statement about a dignified people.

60 portfolio Anna Skladmann The first generation of privileged children sincethe end of communism.

70 four times talent Dutch or Dutch related talent present their interpretation of Russia: 71 From Holland with Love by Boudewijn Bollmann.

76 Theatre of the Absurd by Pavel Prokopchik.

82 Oe menia (With me) by Bieke Depoorter.

88 Zapovedniy (Mysterious prohibition) by Annick Ligtermoet.

94 portfolio Alexey Titarenko Previously unpublished work of a country in a state of flux.

104 bkmrks We found endless online variations with Russia as their theme and assembled the 15 best.

109 guide Upcoming photography exhibitions. a worldwide playlist: Europe USA/Canada Asia/Australia

Cover image © Christian Kryl See also page 106 Contents image © Roderik Henderson - Transvoid On show at Stedelijk Museum 's-Hertogenbosch until January 3 See also page 115

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books

DEAR DIARY

by Anders Petersen

No one can be engaged in a situation as fully as Anders Petersen. Black and white, course in structure, intimate images. "To me, it's encounters that matter, pictures are much less important." And these encounters are often rather sombre. The places he visits, the people he meets. In bed, out of bed. Marked by life.

Something has happened or is about to happen. Memories that Petersen does not add his own commentary to. And this is just as well, because then the imagination can take over.

Paperback 40 pages Black and white images 9.25 x 12.25" Published in a limited edition of 350 numbered and signed copies by GunGallery ISBN 9789197765855 ÂŁ95.00

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BOMBAY BEAUTIES

by Erik Kessels

You browse aimlessly through a box of old photos at a jumble sale. Nothing catches your eye so you walk on. It gets interesting when you find a visual composition that appears to be repeated. This is what happened to Erik Kessels in Mumbai. From a collection of photos he extracted image after image of traditional hairstyles, on different women, captured in the same way: with their backs to the camera and the lens focused on the art.

Paperback 60 pages Black and white images 170 x 225 mm

Limited edition of 500 copies by KesselsKramer ISBN 9789070478278 €11.00

D3: On Russia

by Dispatches

The Dispatches series is for those who want to keep abreast of what’s going on in the world. Now it’s Russia’s turn. And rightly so. A history that’s as rich as it is turbulent is exposed through photo and text essays. From the KGB to Putin and the oil barons, past events flow smoothly into today’s news. A pocket-sized introduction to Russia.

Paperback 312 pages Photo and text essays 7.9 x 5.7”

ISBN 9780984115921 Dispatches Corporation €20.00 © Seamus Murphy

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books

LUXURY

by Martin Parr

© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos, Gulf Art Fair, Dubai 2007

Clothbound 112 pages 83 colour plates 10 x 10”

Chris Boot ISBN 9781905712137 £25.00

“With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality. I try and do this by taking society’s natural prejudice and giving it a twist,” Paul Smith quotes Martin Parr in his foreword. Parr lives up to his words. For Luxury, he visited metropolises such as Dubai and Moscow. Wherever there was (new) money, Martin Parr was there. From catwalk and race course to millionaire fair, this is where the self-described ‘upper class’ shamelessly exhibit their vulgar wealth. But rather than making you jealous, the images are sobering.

After seeing them its hard to believe that (a lot of) money brings happiness.

Pipe Dreams:

A chronicle of lives along the pipeline

by Rena Effendi British Petroleum commissioned Rena Effendi to photograph the people and places along the oil pipeline in Azerbaijan. The work was supposed to highlight the results of the oil company’s social engagement. The reality is very different, however. The people do not profit even remotely from the wealth that lies underneath their land. To uncover the story behind the smiling PR faces, Effendi decided to make a photographic journey along the 1,700-kilometre long oil pipeline through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

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Hardback 176 pages 112 duotone photographs 240 x 240 mm Mets & Schilt ISBN 9789053306956 €39.90

White Sea Black Sea

by Jens Olof Lasthein

The northern White Sea predominantly borders Russia.

In the south, wedged between Europe and Asia Minor, is the Black Sea. The enormous region between both bodies of water is undergoing a major transition. If you thought that the fall of the Iron Curtain and the expanding European Union would result in Eastern and Western Europe joining seamlessly together, you’d be wrong. The divide still present in Europe becomes painfully obvious in the panoramic visual story in White Sea Black Sea.

Hardback 178 pages 80 colour panoramic photos 300 x 240 mm Dewi Lewis Publishing ISBN 9781904587606 ÂŁ25.00

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interview rob hornstra

The Sochi Project

by Lise Lotte ten Voorde

In a film on the project website, the 81-year-old Gennadi Kuk calls on the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander to consider the impact that the arrival of the Olympic Games is having on the historic seaside resort of Sochi (Russia). His call is exemplary of what duo Rob Hornstra (photographer) and Arnold van Bruggen (writer/ filmmaker) hope to communicate with The Sochi Project.

In a nutshell: what is The Sochi Project?

The Sochi Project is a unique documentary project in words and images about the region around the subtropical piece of Russia where the Winter Olympics will be held in 2014. The contrast between rich and poor, order and chaos and – at a basic level – warm and cold is almost nowhere as big as here. The Games create employment, but what will happen to all the buildings and jobs when the Games are over and no one has any reason to visit this remote city? Documenting this region in the run-up to the Olympic Games is a risky undertaking because it is costly and spread out over such a long period of time that the outcome is uncertain. We are financing the project with the help of donors and funding and – hopefully – the sale of photos to collectors. A unique undertaking.

Why this topic?

The run-up to the Olympic Games is an interesting phenomenon to follow, a phenomenon that we also already have our doubts about. It regularly results in problems and construction is causing a lot of damage to people and the environment. But this region – the Caucasus – had already caught our attention because there’s so much going on.

The differences are marked: between people, nationalities, conflicting religions, modernity and tradition, poverty and wealth… When Arnold heard that the Games would be taking place in Russia, he ‘stalked’ me until I promised to take part.

What is your goal?

We aren’t activists so I don’t want to denounce Russia or sue the IOC. However, it is our goal to raise questions about certain issues, but we will also report on things that go well.

The contrasts in the region itself are what fascinate us the most. We want to portray that and make a sort of atlas for everyone interested in the kind of environment the Olympic Games will be taking place in. Because all eyes will be on Sochi in 2014, we think that there will be interest in it.

And finally: tell us something about the upcoming book?

In Sanatorium we focus on – what’s in a name? – the sanatoria in and around Sochi. Every Russian knows Sochi from the Soviet era, because almost everyone was sent there on occasion as a reward for their hard work. In their heyday, the sanatoria attracted one to two million visitors per year. In addition, sanatoria appear frequently in Russian literature.

Besides the fact that they are visually interesting, they are also a vanishing piece of history. We want to go there again to experience and record something of the old glory, before everything is smoothed over and filled with IKEA furniture.

Our third trip (which will take place when this issue of GUP comes out) includes eight days in one of the 150 sanatoria to experience for ourselves what they are like. I don’t really have any physical complaints but I’ll make up a painful knee. At least then I can test one of the interesting pieces of equipment!

Sanatorium (designed by Kummer & Herrman) will be published in a limited edition of 350 numbered copies and is only available to donors of the project. Want one?

Go to www.thesochiproject.org to sign up as a donor. The website itself is also worthwhile: lots of photos, insights into their working methods and on the Sketchbook page a number of entertaining stories. www.thesochiproject.org www.borotov.com

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For Alla Esipovich (St. Petersburg, Russia 1963) it is cardinally important that there should be nothing ‘staged’ in her work. The elderly people in her photographs are not asked to pose, but if they want to pose as a way of manifesting their own identity they are welcome to do so. Parallel to this identity, the transformation of Russia is still very visible in the photographs of Leningraders who became St. Petersburgers.

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portfolio alla esipovich

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portfolio

In recognition of his work, Simon Roberts (London, 1974) has received a wide array of prestigious awards. The book Motherland is a visual statement about a dignified people, 15 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Instead of clichĂŠs of poverty and despair, Roberts presents images of optimistic Russians and beautiful landscapes in a country still so marked by its history.

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portfolio anna skladmann news

Wealthy people don’t brag about money

by Pim Milo

Anna Skladmann’s series Little Adults reminds us of Theater of Manners, Tina Barney’s images of upper-class, AngloAmerican life in an enclave on the coast of Rhode Island.

Often, the backdrops for her subjects are highly decorated, if overstuffed, interiors. Floral chintz fabrics and wallpaper, heirloom paintings and wood-panelled libraries vie for attention behind equally well-appointed figures. There is a distance, a stiffness in Barney’s photographs. The people look like they do not connect. It is the best they can do.

This inability to show physical affection is in their heritage.

It is called ‘noblesse oblige’. Their serenity suggests the naturalness of wealth. There was money, there is money, there will always be money. They exude this conviction.

Barney’s world is built, not bought. It was achieved over the long haul. It’s an aggregation of history, both national and personal.

Tina Barney’s Theater of Manners is inherent chic. Acquired at birth, with all the rights and obligations, worries and joys and responsibilities that come with it. On the contrary, Anna Skladmann’s Little Adults’ world can be bought with a credit card.

It is accumulated wealth, without any deeper thoughts or sense of responsibility. It lacks authenticity, lineage.

It is nouveau riche, from the backdrops to the smiles. It is bling. Bling, that’s the twinkle of your jewellery in another person’s eyes. Money is the reward for the hardworking and the deserving, the adage goes. And the culture of bling is likely to continue as long as capitalist societies keep viewing money as the ultimate reward. Wealth, exorbitant personal enrichment and their shameless display are for the nouveau riche the done thing.

For decades a dark cloud hung over the Eastern bloc.

The collapse of Communism brought with it major changes for Eastern European society. Suddenly, copying aspects of capitalism was one of the new possibilities. An example is undoubtedly ‘The American Dream’, where everyone can potentially become a millionaire. For Americans, this equal chance for prosperity is synonymous with individual freedom, and proof that their country is one of unlimited opportunities.

Skladmann’s Little Adults are the first generation of privileged children since the end of Communism. They try to live up to a stereotype for which their most important sources of inspiration are the red carpet at the Oscars, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and the culture of bling. Their homes, bedrooms or favourite restaurant turn into theatrical settings.

They dress and act like miniature grown-ups. Even so, you can see in their eyes that this newly acquired luxury does not bring lasting happiness. It is short-term satisfaction, which is actually nothing. Nothing but outer show and inner emptiness. Their facial expressions show the tension between their natural character and the stereotype of appearance that exists in the world of children. They live their lives in controlled surroundings that resemble a golden cage.

It is an artificial world in which the children, their mothers, nannies and drivers are the stylists.

Skladmann was born in Germany in 1986, went to boarding school in England and studied in Paris and New York. As a student she did an internship with Annie Leibovitz and at Magnum, in the meantime her Russian Jewish parents moved back to Russia. This foreign, privileged upbringing gave her the distance and cosmopolitan outlook to penetrate the masquerade, while also putting her in a position of identification.

www.annaskladmann.com

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portfolios

четыре x талант The heading above is Russian for 'four times talent' which we will be showing you on the next 23 pages. Up to this point there has been no Dutch or Dutch related talent shown in this issue and we owe it to show you some of them. So hereby we have found you four young and promising talents from, or working in, the Netherlands on subjects concerning Russia. Zip your vodka, relax and enjoy those mini-portfolios.

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boudewijn bollmann

from holland with love

When we heard that Boudewijn Bollmann was going to Moscow to make a series about Russian teenagers who had never lived behind the Iron Curtain, we didn’t waste any time in getting our hands on the series. However, Boudewijn delivered more than expected, namely love. In Moscow, teenagers in love look for privacy on the street in order to be ‘alone’. This provides an image of the country that 20 years ago no one could have predicted. www.twistedstreets.nl

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pavel prokopchik

Theatre of the Absurd

In his current project Theatre of the Absurd, Pavel Prokopchik (Budyonnovk, Russia 1982) creates images with impact. The series depicts present-day Russia with all its absurdities. Absurdities that are even more powerfully portrayed through the use of rich colours and sharp compositions. Since graduating from the Photo Academy in The Hague, his work has already been recognised with the second prize at the Photo Academy Awards and the second prize in the Foreign category of the Silver Camera 2008 awards. www.prokopchik.com 77

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bieke depoorter

Oe Menia

(WITH ME)

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For three months, Bieke Depoorter travelled on the Trans-Siberian Express from village to village, from living room to living room.

She found a bed for the night by showing a handwritten letter.

Every day, the Belgian photographer entered a different Russian life. Skilful compositions in a confined space. A voyeur, but so close by. Did the Russians even know she was there? www.biekedepoorter.be

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annick ligtermoet

Zapovedniy 88

Zapovedniy means ‘mysterious prohibition’ for remote regions in Russia. It is believed that supernatural beings live there and are appeased by the local population with offerings. But what does this have to do with Moscow? Everything. Annick Ligtermoet translates the tension on the streets of ‘Mocba’ into surreal images based on these Russian myths. Nothing is what it seems. As a viewer you are literally at the mercy of the gods. www.annickligtermoet.com

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alexey titarenko

Captured in Grey Our perception of time is brief, something Alexey Titarenko (St. Petersburg 1962) visualises superbly.

His long-exposure photographs of Russian passersby show a country in a state of flux. A whole crowd fades away in grey shadows, as a solitary detail is captured in silence. We are very fortunate to be able to present this previously unpublished work...

A courtyard near the Griboedov canal, St. Petersburg 2005 Next page: Long winter evening near Vassileostrovskay station, St. Petersburg 2005 95

People entering PIROZHKOVAYA (Soviet Union style's fastfood cafĂŠ) St. Petersburg,1991

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Crowd attempting to enter the Vassileostrovskaya station, St. Petersburg 1991

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Black cats, St. Petersburg 1997

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bkmrks

Jeroen Toirkens jeroentoirkens.com nomadslife.com This photographer has spent years travelling to places such as Russia to record the lives of nomads. The photos will eventually result in a book.

Lucia Ganieva luciaganieva.com Static portraits of Russians at home. We love how Ganieva highlights her subjects in the Iron Mules series.

Alexandra Demenkova alexandrademenkova.com Russian by birth, Demenkova graduated in 2008 from the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam. Energetic black and white portraits of Russian country life.

Christian Kryl www.christiankryl.com Just graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Nominated for the prestigious Steenbergen Scholarship. Recently in St. Moritz to record the well-to-do Russian.

Ingar Krauss marvelligallery.com The young subjects in Krauss’ intense portraits seem to have the wisdom of adults. The melancholy in their eyes betrays the pain that they have endured. It is now black and white.

Boris Michailov saatchi-gallery.co.uk By photographing his subjects partially naked, Michailov focusses extra attention on the precarious situation into which they have slipped since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

Mikhail Galustov mikhailgalustov.com Interesting young Russian photographer. At GUP we are hugely impressed by the Caucasus Crisis series.

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guide

Nov 28 - Jan 10

Room 103 Jeroen Kramer Noorderlicht gallery presents images of intimacy from the world of spot news. Besides the exhibition, a photo book will also be on display on the inner conflicts of the photographer after a decade of living and working in the Middle East as a photojournalist.

Noorderlicht Photogallery Akerkhof 12 9711 JB Groningen The Netherlands T: +31 50 318 22 27 www.noorderlicht.com

© Jeroen Kramer

© Holger Niehaus

- Jan 3

Birne Helene Holger Niehaus Holger Niehaus’ work shows a kinship with painting, as reflected in his compositions and use of colour. He interweaves classic still lifes with minimalist forms: plants, fruit and animals. It is only after a second glance that it becomes apparent that his subjects have all been manipulated. By destroying certain qualities of the original subjects, Niehaus makes us aware of the fact that everything we think we see is contradicted by what we actually see.

Gemeentemuseum Den Haag Stadhouderslaan 41 2501 CB Den Haag The Netherlands T: +31 70 338 11 11 www.gemeentemuseum.nl

- Jan 3

Heads Titia Hahne Heads (Koppen) is a series of close-up portraits, mostly of well-known rock singers. Looking through her viewfinder, Titia Hahne waits for the perfect moment to capture a certain quality. It’s a quality that the person in front of the camera may not even know they possess. Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Finn Andrews (The Veils), Patrick Watson, Tom Smith (Editors) and Nico Dijkshoorn, columnist for OOR magazine, were all photographed during a vulnerable moment. As a result, Hahne’s images reveal the human behind the face of a rock band. All photographs are for sale.

Burgwal 2 2011 BD Haarlem The Netherlands T:+31 6 19 84 02 36 www.titiahahne.nl

© Titia Hahne

- Jan 3

Transvoid Roderik Henderson

© Roderik Henderson

Stedelijk Museum 's-Hertogenbosch Magistratenlaan 100 5223 MB ’s-Hertogenbosch

It’s human nature to create some sort of home for ourselves, wherever we are. Security and protection are two of our most basic needs. Roderik Henderson prefers to stay in places where this sort of rawness comes to life. Desolation is an inevitable theme in his work. His interest in why people define the boundaries of their own, unique home, and protect it from the rest of the world, often takes him to abandoned places.

Here, he takes photos of people who have closed themselves off from the world. For the series Transvoid, Henderson photographed people waiting in their cars in parking lots in Canada. Because of the enormous distances, people are forced to eat, drink, sleep and have sex in their second homes. Capturing them in a vacuum between events, he radically redefines the meaning of what is considered a home.

The Netherlands T: +31 73 627 36 80 www.sm-s.nl 115

NEW ADDRESS: Lindengracht 35, Amsterdam. www.kahmanngallery.com Open: Tuesday - Saturday 13.00 - 17.00 h.

Photograph: Sanne Sannes, 1960’s