First congress of the Union of Soviet Artists

The art congress, including plein air panting session, conference and an exhibition, aims to define the possible paths of development of present-day realistic art. Organizers try to follow the tradition of the art school formed in the territory of the Soviet bloc during the second half of the 20th century and to bring this experience up to date within the framework of present-day context. The fundamental propositions of the congress are: incessant connection to reality, passage from the subjective dimension of work to shared collective goals and criteria of evaluation, rehabilitation of the Soviet art project.

The concept of the new-born Union of Soviet Artists will be presented at the conference on September 10.

The participants of the congress will be: the art group New Barbizon (IL), painter Vasja Horst (RU), painter Michail Miani (RU), visual artist and theoretician Dmitry Gutov (RU), historian, activist and artist Ilya Budraitskis (RU), photographer Vivian del-Rio (RU), and philosopher Michael Hauser (CZ).

The conference will be followed by the down-to-earth part of the congress: a plein air session comprising of several specific tasks and free work. This part will end on September 16 when an exhibition will open in the tranzitdisplay gallery and the results of the congress will be evaluated.

Programme:

10.9. Conference Perspectives of Realism: the significance of realism in the history of art and in the present day tranzitdisplay, Dittrichova 9, Prague 2

13:00-13:15 Avdey Ter-Oganyan - introductory speech, presentation of project of the Union of Soviet Artists. 13:30-14:30 Ilya Budraitskis – Socialist realism and the approaching catastrophe. A perspective on the concept of Socialist Realism in art, an interpretation of its sources from the historical context of its origin. 14:45-15:45 Michael Hauser – From modernism to premodernism! A radical response to subversive capitalism and postmodern art. 16:00-17:00 Dmitry Gutov – Lifshitzianism: A radical Marxist critique of modernism. 17:00-? Discussion

The conference is held in Czech and Russian.

11.9. Plein air Podbaba, the Druzhba hotel, 11:00 - meeting by metro station Dejvická (line A, exit to Jugoslávských partyzánů street)

12.9. Old Prague, 12:00 – meeting by entrance to Metro station Hradčanská (line A)

13.9. Plein air Holešovice, 11:00 – meeting by Metro station Vltavská (line C)

14.9. Painting in the collections of the National Gallery. Limited number of participants! 11:00 – meeting in front of the Veletržní palace (Dukelských Hrdinů 47, Prague 7)

16.9. Exhibition opening and presentation of results of plein air, 18:00- tranzitdisplay, Dittrichova 9, Prague 2

The project was made with the kind support of the initiative for contemporary art tranzit.cz and the Russian Cultural Centre in Prague.