The artists and work from “Exoten” Installation Paintings, objects. Berlin 2010.
You’ve lived in artists’ residences all over Europe, studied in the US and Paris and been living in Germany for ten years. At the same time, a lot of your work comments on how important place is for constructing identity. Do you still consider yourselves Russian artists? Or perhaps European artists, or expatriate artists?
It’s a difficult question to answer. We consider ourselves to be Russian people, but not necessarily Russian Artists. Our work has been mostly influenced by Western art. Till recently, we were not in touch with the contemporary art scene in Russia and have just had our first exhibition in Moscow. We prefer not to be labeled as “Russian Artists,” since any kind of labeling brings a whole set of preconceived notions. We feel that we are a bit of “outsiders,” in the sense that we see processes which are taking place in a society from a certain distance. Maybe we are “travelers,” who sometimes notice things no longer visible to the “locals.”
Do you think the question of nationality is becoming less important for artists? Is this an aspect of globalization?
We feel that the question of nationality is still important. Many artists deal with this issue in their work (especially if they come from non-Western countries). We don’t like it when nationality is used as the only “key” in explaining artist’s work. On the other hand, cultural roots of the place where you grew up certainly leave an impression on you as a person and as an artist. Our work has to do with personal experiences and observations and we would like it to be seen as such.
From “Sidewalk” Paintings, papier-mâché objects, pavement stones. Berlin 2009.
Do you feel globalization has had an effect on the Russian art scene? Is there a lot of pressure to move to the West in order to be successful?
We don’t know if young Russian artists today feel the pressure to move to the West to be successful. The Western art scene is certainly bigger and more established than the Russian one, but there is definitely a great interest in the West in what is happening in Russia. We personally were very impressed by new developments in the gallery scene in Moscow. We hope that it grows, learns from the experience of the western art establishments and yet remains original.
