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STAND STILL

The huge letters "MOSKVA  STOIT" (MOSCOW STANDS STILL) would look logically out from the entrance of the city. A new Sergey Voronzsov exhibition in Gridchinhall is about his controversial relationship with Moscow: the old Russian expression  "Third Rome, Moscow, stands, and the fourth will not happen", and the critically-hopeless feeling of stagnation and habitual standing in Moscow's traffic jams.

The Russian verb "stand" is a natural incarnation for the word “vertical” and further intensifies the meaning of this installation, in its context for the city of Moscow. For the artist, this doom stereotype, was the reason for creating this exhibition in an attempt to search for new concepts.

"STOIT" exhibition is a symbiosis of conflicting sentiments in relation not only to his hometown in particular, but also to the city as a whole, to the centre, to its power and glory, and to the relics of its citizens. This is the aggressively-patriotic "Third Rome, Moscow, stands, and the fourth will not happen." It's - critically-hopeless feeling of stagnation. It's proudly-optimistic, comparing with «Roly-Poly» toy. These are shadows of the past standing above the city. This is standing in traffic jams and jumping to the "O" stress in the word "STOIT" (WORTH, playing on words).

The basis contradictions of the exhibition "STOIT" are manifested not only at the conceptual level, but also in real, physical perception of work. They are in relationship of volume, shape, material and techniques, in a bizarre, comic role of objects. Meter-sized letters "M O C K B A   S T O I T" are covered with cork, but their apparent fragility is compensated by powerful springs on which they are fastened; and which return them after any blow to the elastic-upright position. And the cork itself is only temporarily in a static state: on the street or in a bottle, at any moment it can turn into a destructive force, knocking a pedestrian down or a chandelier off the ceiling.

Since late 80s living in Berlin, Vorontsov tried to creatively connect Moscow Conceptual School anecdotist with the philosophy of the Western European tradition. The result was a healthy absurd.

Nikita Alexeyev: «Sergei Voronzov appeared on the Moscow art scene in the second half of 80s. He was one of the founders, along with Sven Gundlah and Nikolay Ovchinnikov, of «music simulation group «Central Russian Upland». He belongs to the circle of Moscow conceptualists younger generation, but occupies a very special place over there. Vorontsov creative work outwardly does not carry features of accentuated intellectualism, there are no peculiar branching mental constructs. On the contrary, it is extremely material, and more - it is real.»

STAND STILL, Artplace & Residece Gridchinhall, 2010

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