Peripheral Visions

02 October — 30 November 2015

A SOLO EXHIBITION OF OLGA CHERNYSHEVA

Curated by Elena Sudakova

Exhibition design by Katya Sivers

Photographs by Sophia Schorr-Kon

A leading figure in the artistic generation of 1990s Moscow, internationally acclaimed artist Olga Chernysheva documents the interactions of people and objects with the structures and spaces of contemporary Russia. In a solo exhibition at GRAD, Chernysheva focusses particularly on the experience of the individual in the neglected institutional spaces of abandoned museums and offices, taking over the gallery with a range of work in a variety of media.

Moscow is permeated with the relics and sentiments of its Soviet history, and Chernysheva’s scenes appear as if they are from another time, like artefacts of a contemporary era. Included in the exhibition are thirty new and unseen drawings and sculptural objects, interspersed with the videos and photographs that have brought Chernysheva international acclaim.

Chernysheva’s practice developed in parallel with the seismic changes brought on by the decline of the Soviet Union. Her powerful images record strangers unselfconsciously navigating the practices of everyday life. Eschewing social criticism or judgement, she continues to document the people and objects that she feels are ignored by mainstream narratives. This exhibition highlights the power of an artistic ‘peripheral’ vision to broaden perception and bring attention to issues relegated to the margins of our everyday thought processes.