Slavic mythology in contemporary art: How can artists think of the cult images of legendary creatures

The desire of roots, the search for national identity and nostalgia for the feeling of fairy tale of children, manifests itself more in our modern art and mass culture: funny decor from cinema to restaurants. And if we talk about art, then the works of contemporary artists, in which Slavic mythology and fairy -tale archetypes have made a new life and tell the past and tell the past. Kollumonist Peopletalk Ekaterina explained how the direction of Andreeva was transformed and what was behind his development.

Ekaterina Andreeva is the Creator of Yaandart Art Project

Slavic mythology is very rich and versatile, but unlike the old ones, it is disintegrated to us. AS One of the First Researches of Russian Folklore Mikhail Ivanovich Popov Wrote WORK “Description of the Ancient Slavic Pagan Faculty” (1768): What Ancient Centuries Abounded the Same Books as the Same Many Books As Our Ancient Centuries, About The Slavic Deities, Festivals, Ritments, Removes, Removal Speech, Signs of the Slavic Mythology is not only the subject of scientific research from the second half of the 18th century.

These rich and complex gods, souls and legendary creatures, who are familiar with the fairy tales from childhood, are deeply touching our cultural code. If we look at our culture and art backwards, we will note that Slavic mythology regularly shows that in architecture, later in decorative and practical art, then in the theater, then in painting.

Now a little retrospective about the highest profile names and an example of iconic monuments. Interest in the visual arrangement of this heritage, at the beginning of the 20th century, in the brightest period of national romanticism and in the search for an original “Russian style” at the end of the XIX appeared brightly. Inspired by epics, fairy tales and the restructuring of old beliefs, artists created canonical images and I do not exaggerate here.

Ivan Bilibin, with ancient miniatures and Fairy -verbal graphics drawings stylized under lubok, literally determined the visual code of the Russian fairy tale. I hope you remember these pictures from childhood.

In Viktor Vasnetsov monumental canvases, “Heroes”, “ALONUSHKA”, “Knight at the Junction” and other works in this cycle realized the characters of the fairy tales, as if he had written them from nature. In Viktor Vasnetsov monumental canvases, “Heroes”, “ALONUSHKA”, “Knight at the Junction” and other works in this cycle realized the characters of the fairy tales, as if he had written them from nature.

Mikhail Vrubel, who was immersed in the devil and irrational world, created live images in which mythology became a guide for the secrets of the human soul, and carried the echoes of Slavic mysticism “Pan” and “Princess-Credit”.

The objection to the legend was not just an aesthetic choice, but also a response to national identity, roots, the tendencies of modernity and a reaction to growing industrialization. Here, we can synchronize with the people we lived 100 years ago and live in their pain and needs and understand the modern popularity of Slav folklore. However, we can return 100 years ago (in fact 120-130 years): Mythology gave a language to express the spiritual searches of the period. The monuments of this period are not only paintings and book graphics, but also a tile major: Remember Vrubel stoves and figures and all aspects in architecture “Neo-Russia style”: Yaroslavsky Station, Flenovo, a magnificent “Teremok”, Potodinskaya Gulf (Heary-Mm. It is a necessity of non -open landscapes), all these monuments are saturated with the spirit of the Old Russian ‘.

Slavic mythology is experiencing a new tour of interest, but in a different way. Artists not only show old stories, but also rethink the archaic images, but touch them on modernity, mass culture and related art practices. A striking example of this trend was two major Moscow exhibitions.

I will start with what has already been closed, but I have shown well with the presentation of folklore in the game form of the “adult playground” in the game form (as I see this exhibition). We are talking about the “Once upon a time. Russian Tale School” project in the “Vinzavod” region of Contemporary Art Center. The exhibition examined how non -classic bilibin or vasnetsov and fairy expenses and images penetrated the mass culture and became the “Russian Marvel universe ..

It should be noted the curator’s technique or a wonderful combination of the conditions in which the exhibition was placed in a large winery, the magical world was in the dungeon, which created the effect of immersion from the threshold to the fairy tale. The concept of “school ile with tables and boards was found together with the total large -scale installations in which fairy -tale characters work (this is only about adult playgrounds). Half of the place was transformed into a mystical forest and the swamps where the modern interpretations of legendary creatures live. The works of contemporary artists have come to life among fascinating decorations and other world lights, and Natalya Shanghaka’s “tree” installation referred to the archetype of the world tree. This immersion show is designed to awaken memories and emotions from childhood.

Now there is an exhibition dedicated to a deeper understanding of tradition through the club through the club. Curator Natalya Yustitskaya United 79 artists become the keys of the cultural code built in the structure of the traditional hut (Canopy, Chamber, Babi Kut, Red Corner, Suseki). Olga Morozova from Chamot – Monumental “Key hole from Chamot – The” You ” – Olga Morozova likes Anna Filippova’s” black boards “with the emerging faces of the saints. And so as he progresses throughout the exhibition, the objects of contemporary artists from all parts of the Russian hut – a beautiful and great metaphor game.

These projects show different dialogues with mythological heritage. “Once upon a time, they bet on the pop culture of a fairy tale, and they bet on the mass, entertainment and integration of the pop culture, they use total installations to revive Goblin, Kikimore and other bad souls. As part of the code, I’m sure you’ll like it and you’ll learn a lot about our culture.