More Kandinsky Prize/Belyaev-Gintovt stuff:
1) Dima Gutov on the prize ceremony (kava-bata, in Russian):
Osmolovsky's performance in which he caused a scandal by shouting out "Shame" was as good as his best actions. As the critics of the XIX century used to say: the masks are off. I was afraid the affair might be obscured by giving the prize to me or Orlov. Let them show it around the world, their ugly mugs plain for all to see.
In fact, I'm not sure a Western audience would pay much heed to the content of Belyaev-Gintovt's work. That's the beauty of a culture saturated with messages. But I think his paintings would get even less attention as art. I'm not saying he's devoid of ability, but his work's overblown in all respects.
2) The statement of the Kandinsky Prize protest groups who mounted a picket at Vinzavod (the socialist movement Forward [Социалистическое Движение Вперед]; What Is To Be Done group [группа "Что Делать]; independent critics, artists activists) (kava-bata, in Russian & English):
We could care less about the Kandinsky Prize. It doesn’t matter to us whether the ultra-rightwing artist Belyaev-Guintovt wins it or not. We do not appeal to the powers that be, whether cultural, political or judicial, because we have no illusions about their commitment to democracy. We address our appeal to the art community and civil society. Our purpose is to draw their attention to the fascization of Russia’s ruling class.
This is happening in parallel with the profound crisis of the neoliberal order and its ideology, which makes no distinction between right and left, brown and red, fascism and communism, recognizing only private property and the “self-regulating” market. Thus does the eclectic “left-nationalist” ideology of Eurasianism converge with the stance of the prominent members of Russia’s business and media elite who serve on the prize’s jury and board of trustees. “Let a thousand flowers bloom!” “All ideologies are equal!” “Art beyond politics!” These slogans, which have always served the uncontrolled expansion of the market, are today being spouted by these respectable men and women. As they thus make profitable investments in art, flagrantly fascist utterances are legitimized in the public sphere.