We've investigated what's going on with our art scene right now, so here are our top picks – Belarusian-French suprematism, touching documentary photography and mythical video art.
NADIA
When? till November 24, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Where? National Arts Museum (vulica Lienina, 20)
How much? 8 BYN (€ 3.5) – an ordinary ticket to the whole museum, 4 BYN (€ 1.8) for students
Nadia Léger is a famous Belarusian-French avant-garde artist. Before you come to the museum, learn a bit about her life to understand how cool she was. One would say that she lived as if she didn’t know that feminism hadn’t triumphed yet.
Nadia Khodasevich was born in a small Belarusian village. At the age of 15, she moved to Russia to study art under the tutelage of Kazimir Malevich. Then she went to Poland to continue her art education and, finally, got to Paris, because she wanted to study at the Parisian Academy of Modern Art. Nadia became the most prominent PR-manager of French art in the USSR. She brought to Moscow and other cities her own works, pieces by her husband Fernand Léger and other famous artists.
The current exhibition features more than 50 works (paintings, gouache, drawings, lithographs and silk screen printing). There’re also some works by Fernand Léger and Pablo Picasso, donated to the museum by Nadia Léger.
If after the exhibition you’ll feel like you need some more Léger, head for Zembin, a small village in the Minsk region. The place was really special for the artist because her mother was born. Nadia gave to the local museum some of her huge mosaics, so now it’s a decent permanent exhibition. Looks impressive!
ZMENA
When? till November 19, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Where? Zal#2, The Palace of Arts (vulica Kazlova, 3)
How much? free
“Zmena” (or “The Change”) is the exhibition by Siarhei Brushko, one of the most talented photojournalists in Belarus. It’s a documentary depiction of the epochal period in the history of our country: the end of the 1980s – the beginning of the 1990s. It was the time of perestroika and the first years of independence, the time of freedom and change, the time when everything seemed possible. About 100 photos from 1988 to 1993 will make a viewer dive into the spirit of that time. The collection consists of black and white photos with a skillfully crafted composition, with the main characters being ordinary people in that difficult time. At the exhibition, you can also buy an album with Siarhei's photographs.
NEOPHYTE
When? till November 27, 12 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Where? Ў Gallery (vulica Kastryčnickaja, 19)
How much? 5 BYN (€ 2) – an ordinary ticket to the gallery, 3 BYN (€ 1.3) for students
The project by local artist Jura Shust is dedicated to the secrecy and mysteries in today's life of young Belarusians. Jura draws a parallel between the traditional search for a mythical fern flower during Kupala Night and a cache of so-called "drops" (drug trafficking method based on the use of digital anonymizers). The main video in the NEOPHYTE depicts a group of young people as they roam through the woods in pursuit of happiness, however imaginary it might be.
Read more: Top Events & Things to Do in Minsk in November
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Cover photo by palasatka
