THE EXHIBITION OF “ALIPIY” GROUP
PAINTING AND GRAPHICS (1975-1983).
The art of the Soviet nonconformism is the recent past with its image being still formed. Today there has been done much to study that epoch. Unfortunately, a range of important facts still remains on the periphery of research interest. Among them are the creative groups of unofficial artists of the so-called “second wave” of nonconformism in the middle of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s.
“Alipiy” group was such a distinctive phenomenon from 1975 till 1983. The exhibition and collection catalogue represent creative work of the group members – Alena, Vik, Sergeev S., Skrodenis V., and Trofimov V. – as it was in the years of the group’s existence. Our task was to reconstruct “Alipiy” group and present it as a whole artistic phenomenon which has uniquely contributed to the development ofLeningradinformal art.
The taken time frame is determined by two dates which were the most important for the group’s existence: 1975 – the first unofficial exhibition held in the apartment of one of the artists; and 1983 – the loss of “Ligovka”, the art studio where the leading members of the group lived (Alena (Valentina Sergeeva), Vik (Vyacheslav Zabelin), and Sergey Sergeev) and which was a center of attraction for creative youth in the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s.
The artists from “Alipiy” group are a young nonconformist generation which replaced the masters of “Gazanev art”. The group’s key intention is advocating for the right to freedom of artistic views and formation of an individual style emerging from the internal need of an artist-creator and not imposed by the socialist dogma. As well as other informal groups of that time (“Chronicle” Boris Koshelokhov, Timur Novikov, Elena Figurina, and others; “Inaks” (Sergey Kovalskiy, Viktor Bogorad, and others)), “Alipiy” group had its own unique artistic fingerprint. It could be seen in their interest in the religious art of the Middle Ages, Art Nouveau, and Chinese calligraphy and script styles. Some of the members studied painting techniques of the old masters, and some of them turned to the “immortal” subjects and plots (“The Annunciation”, “The Pietà”, “Bread and Wine”) following the principle of “one line” borrowed from the ancient treatises on the Chinese art or the flowing lines of Art Nouveau.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF THE ARTISTS OF THE GROUP
Alena (Sergeeva Valentina Yur’evna)
The artist was born in Leningrad, 1954 and studied at Vladimir Serov Art School (Tavricheskaya Art School), “Prometheus” theatre studio, and then at Vera Mukhina Higher School of Art and Design. Alena is one of the initiators of “Alipiy” informal artist group and an organizer of the movement of unofficial artists of the second wave in the 1970s-1980s. She is an active participant of illegal outdoor and indoor exhibitions of Cyril and Methodius group, later – the Association of Experimental Art.
The artist created her last works (icons and holy banners) for the Society of Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called from which they were transferred to The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Now Alena lives in Pestovo town of Novgorod territory where she works as a teacher in an art studio at the Center of Extracurricular Activities.
The main exhibitions
1979 The exhibition of “Alipiy” group, The University of Tartu, Estonia.
1980-81 “The Exhibition of the Fourteen”, The Palace of youth,Leningrad.
1981 The joint exhibition of Alena’s and Fedorov L’s works, The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO AS USSR), Ukraine.
1987-1988 Okhtinskiy exhibition building of the Union of Artists,Leningrad.
1988 Romanovsky Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.
1989 The first Exhibition Pavilion “From informal art to Perestroika”, the exhibition complex “Harbour”, Leningrad.
1989 ”The Way to the Church”, St. Jacobi Kirche (St. James’ Church), Göttingen, FRG.
1989 The exhibition hall of “Five Corners” club, Leningrad.
1989 “The Modern Russian Avant-garde”, the exhibition hall of the Union of Artists,Petropavlovsk,Kamchatka.
1990 International Art Centre named after S.P. Dyagilev,MarblePalace,Leningrad.
1990 “Christmas exhibition”,Helsinki,Finland.
1990 “A Woman’s Self-Cognition”, the Museum of the Peoples of the USSR, The Union of Cinematography, Leningrad.
1991 “Compatriots – to Saint Petersburg”, Church of Ss. Simeon and Anna, Museum of Meteorology, St. Petersburg.
1992 East Meets West Gallery,San Francisco,USA.
1994 III St. Petersburg Biennale, Saint Petersburg Manege
1995 Exhibition on the 20-th anniversary of “Alipiy” group, “Fund of the Russian Modern Art” gallery,St. Petersburg.
1995 RussianCenterfor Science and Culture,Helsinki,Finland.
1995 “Art Mosaic” Rossi’s Fine Art Auction, Peoples’ Friendship House, St. Petersburg.
1998 “Biblical Theme”,Helsinki,Finland.
Vik (Zabelin Vyacheslav Yur’evich)
The artist was born in Mongolia in 1953. He studied at Vladimir Serov Art School (Tavricheskaya Art School) in 1971-1974 and worked as a restorer in the State Peterhof Museum, a decorator and a scene-painter in Leningrad theatres. His intensive creative exhibition activity has begun in Russia and abroad since the 1970-s. He takes part in the foundation of “Alipiy” group and in the organization of the Association of Experimental Art in 1974. His works of art are exhibited in all the exhibitions of these associations. Vik is a member of the International Association of Free Culture, Saint Petersburg Union of Artists, and the Association of Russian Artists in Paris. He is an author of the idea and a coordinator of the international artistic and literary art projects “Volume”, “The Measure of All Things”, and “Palette of Sounds”.
Vik lives and works in Saint Petersburg today. The artist’s works are reposited in St.-Petersburg museums: The State Hermitage Museum, The State Russian Museum, The F. M. Dostoevsky Literary Memorial Museum, The Museum of Nonconformist Art, S.P. Dyagilev’s Museum of Contemporary Arts, The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, and also in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA), The State Museum of Folk Graphics in Moscow, The Centre for Etchings and Graphics in Lisbon (Portugal), The National Gallery named after I.K. Aivazovsky (Feodosia, Ukraine), Zimmerli Art Museum (New Jersey, USA), etc.
The main exhibitions
1982 Solo exhibition. The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAOASUSSR),Ukraine.
1991-1993 The international art project “The Contemporary Artists of the World-Solidarity”, Gdańsk-Sopot-Warsaw-Berlin.
1993 “Vik: Painting, Graphics, and Icons”. The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, The Rumiantsev Palace, St. Petersburg.
1995 Solo exhibition. The International Press-Center inGorokhovaya Street. St. Petersburg.
2001 Solo exhibition. Painting. The Chesme Palace, John the Baptist’s exhibition halls, St. Petesburg.
2002 “Quest For The Grail”, The Museum of Nonconformist Art, St.-Petersburg.
2002 “Beside”, The Russian Academy of Fine Arts Museum, The Brodsky House Museum, St. Petersburg.
2003 “Crosses as the Windows”, the exhibition halls of the Union of Artists in Russia (IFA),St. Petersburg.
2004-2006 Solo exhibition, “Carlyne” exhibition halls,St. Petersburg,Moscow,Berlin.
2006 Solo exhibition. S.P. Dyagilev’s Centre for Contemporary Arts,St. Petersburg.
2006 “FromRussiaWith Love”, The International Centre for Etchings and Graphics,Lisbon,Portugal.
2007 “Twelve” for the art festival on 145 anniversary of the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. St. Petersburg.
2008 “Unbelievable. But Obvious”, The Russian Academy of Fine Arts Museum, St. Petersburg.
2009 Solo exhibition, “Art-Liga” Gallery, The Pushkinskaya 10 Art Center, St. Petersburg.
2013 “Familiar Pieces”, The Russian Academy of Fine Arts Museum, The Brodsky House Museum, St. Petersburg.
2013 “Signs of the Sky”, The F. M. Dostoevsky LiteraryMemorialMuseum,St. Petersburg.
Sergeev Sergey Alexandrovich
The artist was born in Leningrad in 1953. He graduated Theatre and Design Department, Vladimir Serov Art School (Tavricheskaya Art School) in 1973. He has been a participant in non-conformism movement and a member of “Alipiy” group since 1975. He is an organizer and an active participant in all the exhibitions of the Association of Experimental Art (AEA) since 1981. The artist is a member of UNESCO International Federation of Artists (IFA).
Sergeev Sergey Alexandrovich lives and works in Saint Petersburg today. His works of art are reposited in St.-Petersburg museums: The State Russian Museum, The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, The Museum of Nonconformist Art, in the collections of Sevastopol Museum of Fine Arts (Ukraine), Zimmerli Art Museum (New Jersey, USA), and Kolodzei Art Foundation (USA); and also in the private collections: the Fund of Alberto Ssndretti, Helen Mirren&Taylor Hackford (USA), and D137 Gallery (St.-Petersburg).
The main exhibitions
1979 The exhibition of “Alipiy” group, The University of Tartu, Estonia.
1980 The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO AS USSR), Ukraine.
1981 The first exhibition of the Association of Experimental Art, The Palace of youth, Leningrad.
1982-1987 The exhibition series of the Association of Experimental Art inBronnitskaya street,Leningrad.
1988 Guernsey’s auction, New York, USA.
1988 “Art-2I” Gallery,Paris,France.
1989 “Art of ModernRussia”, GalleryLory,New York,USA.
1990 “The Russian Experiment”, Castle Gallery,New Rochelle,USA.
1991 Hammer’s Center, Moscow, Russia.
1992 TIAS’92, Tokyo, Japan.
1992 East Meets West Gallery,San Francisco,USA.
1994 “Bread and Wine”, “Art Collegium” Gallery,St. Petersburg.
1995 Solo exhibition, “Maxim” Publishing House, Moscow.
1996 “Paintings of different years”, “Palette” Gallery,St. Petersburg.
1997 “Selected Works”, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg.
2000 “Palimpsests”, “Palette” Gallery, St. Petersburg.
2001 “Transition”, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg.
2003 “Transition”, exchange exhibition of D137 Gallery and “Arc” Gallery, “Arc” Gallery, Vladivostok.
2004 “Bull’s Whisper”, D137 Gallery,St. Petersburg.
2006 “Einsturzende Neubauten”, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg.
2009 “Urban Archeology”, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg.
2011 “Inside and Outside”, D137 Gallery,St. Petersburg.
2012 “Without barriers. Russian Art 1985-2000”,StateRussianMuseum,St. Petersburg.
Skrodenis Vladimir Walterovich
(11.02.1955 – 05.02.2011)
Vladimir Skrodenis was born in Leningradon the 11th of February, 1955. He worked as a painter at “Leningrad Scientific Film” studio for some years after graduation from the Leningrad Painting and Graphics School in 1974. The artist produces his paintings, etching series, and several series of color graphics in the period from 1975 to 1995. He works as an animator at the same time.
Vladimir Skrodenis mainly works in easel graphics and book illustration in 1996-2011.
The artist’s works are reposited in private collections in German and France, and also in S.P. Dyagilev’s Museum of Contemporary Arts.
The main exhibitions
1975 “Leningrad Scientific Film” studio, Leningrad.
1975-1977 The exhibitions in S. Kovalsky’s apartment, Leningrad.
1975 The exhibition of “Alipiy” group in S. Sergeev’s apartment,Leningrad.
1977 The exhibitions in Y. Novikov’s apartment, Leningrad.
1977 Outdoor exhibition by the Saints Cyril and MethodiusChurch(Shestakov Church of Our Lady),Leningrad.
1978 Outdoor exhibition with “Chronicle” group by the Saints Cyril and MethodiusChurch(Shestakov Church of Our Lady),Leningrad.
1978 “Traveling exhibition” series with “Alipiy” group in Repino, Solnechniy, Kurort, and other suburbs of Leningrad.
1978 The Railway House of Culture, Leningrad.
1978 The House of culture named after Kalinin, Leningrad.
1978 Exhibition with “Alipiy” group, The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAOASUSSR),Ukraine.
1979 The exhibition of “Alipiy” group, The University of Tartu, Estonia.
1980 The Palace of youth, Leningrad.
1981 The House of culture named after Kirov, Leningrad.
1997 G. Mikhailov’s Gallery,St. Petersburg.
1990-2003 Exhibition series in «Maestro Art» gallery, St. Petesrburg.
Trofimov Viktor Evgen’evich
(21.08.1953 – 17.04.2012)
The artist was born in Leningrad on the 21st of August in 1953. He studied at Leningrad city art school. After graduation Leningrad Pedagogical School of Arts and Graphics (LPSAG) in 1974, he taught drawing and sketching at school and had self-study painting lessons at the same time.
The artist entered “Leningrad Scientific Film” studio in 1976 where he worked for 14 years until 1991. He took part in popular science, educational, and cartoon films as a film artist and a director. He graduated Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, animation courses in 1981 and joined the Association of Russian Artists and Society “Free Culture”. He took part in the work on revue with the group “New composers” in the creative association “Science Fiction” at the Planetarium in 1989-1991. He was accepted to the International Federation of Artists (IFA) in 1997. The artist was actually engaged in book graphics and collaborated with such publishing houses as “Northwest”, “Crown-Print”, “Education-Culture”, “Orbis”, “Aleteya”, etc.
The artist’s works are reposited in private collections in Russia, Belgium, Finland, USA, German, England, and also in S.P. Dyagilev’s Museum of Contemporary Arts and the Museum of Nonconformist Art (MNA) in St. Petersburg.
The main exhibitions
1998 “Leningrad Contemporary Art”, CEH “Manege”, Leningrad.
1989 “From Informal Art to Perestroika”, Harbour,Leningrad.
1991 “Saint PetersburgArtists”,Porvoo,Finland.
1992 “Pararealism”, The RussianMuseumof Ethnography, St. Petesburg.
1993-1996 “The WholePetersburg”, CEH “Manege”,St. Petersburg.
1994 III St.PetersburgBiennale,Saint Petersburg.
1999 The exhibition of “Volume” group, St. Petersburg.
2003 “Traditions and Modernity”,St. Petersburg.
2004 Independent Arts Festival, CEH “Manege”, St. Petersburg.
2005 “White Nights Festival”, The Pushkinskaya 10 Art Center, St. Petersburg.
2006 “III International Graphics Biennale”, St. Petersburg.
2006 “The Contemporary Art of Russia”, Moscow.
2006 “The Year of Russia”, Tianjin, China.
2012 “To Memory of the Artist”, Association of Designers, St. Petersburg.
2012 “To Memory of the Artist”, Elizabeth’s Library, St. Petersburg.
2013 Retrospective exhibition “Whatever I Can See in My Dreams Is Reality”, The Center for Arts and Music, Central City Public Library named after V.V. Mayakovsky, St. Petersburg.
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