The Man of One Book

Time back home


Above: The Man of One Book


Chinese people believe that to be successful you need to do things at the right time, in the right place and meet the right people – a philosophy that can be applied to famous Russian artist Konstantin Bessmertny’s life.

26 years ago …

Born in Blagoveschensk, in the former USSR, Konstantin Bessmertny moved to Macau in 1992 to organise an exhibition in the city. At that time, Macau was an entry point for Westerners exploring Asia. Young Bessmertny had just graduated from university and a gallery had invited him to organise in Macau,

I Told You So

 

“I never [made a conscious decision] to stay in Macau. It was not my desire. I was invited by the gallery because not many Russians spoke English but I did.  I though it was the right time to expand and try something new,” Bessmertny explains. “I was changing the channel on the TV and I suddenly saw a movie of Bruce Lee fighting in Macau and thought it was a [strange] place. That’s why I came here.”

Whilst living in the small town for over two decades, the artist created a lot of artworks inspired by the special local culture and wanted to express his opinions through his works. He excels at playing with solemn topics in an absurd way.

Provocatio Ad Populum, Birkin Bag

 

The latest project he has undertaken was in Jingdezhen, China, a town famous for producing traditional Chinese porcelain vases. He has painted the casino public on one side of the vase, with a religion symbol painted on the other, explaining: “I want to create these kinds of things to get people to think and doubt the reality they live in.”

The artist declares himself an artist on the crossroads of East and West, past and present, classical and contemporary, street and high culture.

“I want to stand at a point that no-one stood at before. Most of my works have layers of meaning. I want to use misleading messages to attract attention. When they get closer to it – the more they read, the more they know – they will find more things.  In an era of people losing their patience to appreciate original art, they normally judge an artwork in just three seconds.

Baseleouosa

 

“When people see artworks from a distance they are attracted by eye-catching colours or figures. they will want to see more of the pictures. When they come closer, they will find an interesting title, and they will change their mind and want to see more of the artwork.

As rentals continued rising in Macau, Bessmertny moved his studio to Hong Kong in recent years. Adversity brings opportunities; the artist found a good location in Hong Kong and started his busy work across two cities.

Strict Father

 

“The location is very good, there’s even a paint shop downstairs.” he says. “The most important thing for a creative profession is freedom. We need to remind ourselves that you don’t belong to a gallery or any commission. You can’t be the slave of the bank or education. To be free, you don’t need to be rich, just scale down your life.”

Moving to Hong Kong has helped him open the market in a way but he considers that the art environment in Hong Kong and Macau is still not progressive enough, concluding: “Common people don’t buy artworks and they don’t need art.”

Today…

After 26 years away from his country, this famous artist will finally have his solo exhibition in his hometown.

Time Rich, Cash Poor Now

 

“Everything has its time. I think it’s the right time to have the solo show in Russia.  I think I can give something back. People there are curious about culture outside the country. They know I was born there but I went somewhere else.  There be will some lectures and art students waiting for me.  I am being criticised. To be accepted by your own people is very difficult. I am not going to fulfil their suspicions. I will spring some surprises on them!”

This exhibition will be shown at the House of Artist’s Union, Vladivostok during 4-21 October.  The city is also the place where he perfected his skills whilst young. “ I started serious fine art study when I was 11 years old and I studied for 17 years. The time I studied fine art in Vladivostok is like a toolbox for me. I learned a wide range of doing art there. I started with a very precise style of painting there.”

Left is Right & Right is Wrong

 

The solo exhibition – titled What is to Blame & Who is to be Done? – is a reference to Chernyshevsky’s book What is to be Done?  “This exhibition is a continuation of my exhibition in London early this year,” he says. “I will show the different series, but the main angle will connect to 100 years of Russian Revolution.”

A total of 16 artworks, including paintings, sculptures and 2D installations will be exhibited in a venue comprising four rooms featuring different ideas.

Another highlight series – Remake – is inspired by the notorious fake DVD industry in China.

“I blend the fake images with the wrong subtitles to introduce different dimensions to the world,” says Bessmertny. “I’m going to finish two works in Russia, but of course I have done some preparation in advance.”

The renowned Bestiarium series, which showcases heroes in funny ways, can also be seen in the exhibition. “You will see Mikhail Bakunin smoking a cigarette and I will light up the cigarette at the show. This [kind of thing] will change the position of specific idols in people’s minds,” he believes.

When speaking of the aspirations of this exhibition, the artist says: “Everything should be fun. I hate the contemporary way of showing art. Some exhibitions in the galleries are like funerals, I don’t want to force anyone to come. I like to make an exhibition that people want to come to.”