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Biography
 Aliaksandr
Pushkin entered Belarusan Art College of I.Akhremchyk in 1978. Was taught
by P. Sharypa till 1983, and that year became a student in the School
of monumental-decorative art of Belarusan State Art-Theatre Institute
(today Belarusan Academy of Arts). Yet being a student in the Art College
took part in protests against administration’s self-permissiveness (wrote
petitions, went on hunger-strikes etc., but the information about it remained
within the College). A year later was obliged to do the military service
in Afghanistan. Was demobilized in 1986 and continued studies in the Academy.
Took active part in the students’ movement of 1988 (2nd Free Assembly
of Belarusan Youth Organizations in Vilnius; Dziady-88). Organized his
first performance on March, 25 1989 – celebrating the 71st anniversary
of the Belarusan People’s Republic (Freedom Day) and thus founding “social
art” in Belarus. At the same time wrote the Social Art Manifest. The first
exhibitions and performances were conducted in the Academy. They were
followed by the 15-day arrest, criminal case and investigation on Freedom
Day celebrating. Was given 2 years of suspended sentence by Minsk city
court with 5-year deprivation of citizen’s rights. Meanwhile continued
studying in the Academy of Arts.
In 1990 finished the diploma work – wall-painting of 215 m2 in his College.
After this got a job placement in Vitsebsk. There the first personal exhibition
of decorative artifacts (social art) was held (Centre of people’s craft
Exhibition hall) after a series of social art performances: “November,7”;
“Imprisoned Vitsebsk”; “Spring”; “Freedom”; “Love”. This exhibition turned
to be the first step in the post soviet art in Vitsebsk. It was moved
then to Hrodna thanks to the attempts of Larysa Mikhnievich – the head
of Vitsebsk Found of Culture. However, the exhibition was not even opened
as the demands of Communist Party’s regional committee to remove some
works were not fulfilled. The pictures were transported to Minsk.
Hanged a white-red-white flag on Vitsebsk town hall after the putsch in
1991. Later, after the adoption of the independence and state symbol “Pahonia”
(Chase), declared the ending of the social art period or “Declarative
art” in his works (1988-1991).
Since 1992 had been taking part in wall painting restoration in Mahilyow
Cathedral of Ascension together with Belarusan Catholic Gramada. The frescos
“St. Cecily, the patroness of music and singing”, “Archangel Michael,
the patron of Belarusan land”, “St. Antonio of Padua”, “St. Apostle Juda-Tadeusz”,
“Gloria to Cardinal Swiatek” were created there.
The second personal exhibition was opened on March, 25 1992 in Minsk Literature
House. Later, in October of the same year, another personal exhibition
was opened in Mahilyow. Meanwhile, thanks to the help of Belarusan immigrants
in the USA, the first private contemporary art gallery “At Pushkin’s”
was opened in Vitsebsk on March, 23 1993. For the first time in the post-soviet
period the gallery exhibited the works of modern Belarusan post-modernists
from Polatsk, Hrodna, Vitsebsk. During 1993-1995, 8 significant exhibitions
of painting, graphic, sculpture, modern photography, plastic performance
were held. Everything was organized at one’s own means. Neither Ministry
of culture, nor organizations and founds supported the gallery. It was
the first experimental laboratory of latest contemporary art trends in
Belarus. The supervisors of the gallery were: Larysa Mikhnevich, Vitsebsk
(1993-1994); Mikhal Barazna, Minsk (1994-1996).
After Lukashenka was elected President in 1994, the authoritarian regime
was established in Belarus. It naturally influenced the gallery and its
activities were obstructed by the local authorities. Because of inevitability
of closing the gallery, the permission to organize there the 1st Assembly
of Belarusan Nationalists was given by the artist. As a result the gallery
was closed because of the “violation of statute and purposes of usage”.
The good-bye press conference was organized on December, 19 1995 in Vitsebsk.
Some of gallery’s projects were still held in some places in Vitsebsk,
however it was senseless to organize something new in the city, where
official authorities were opposed to it. The discrimination of everything
that was Belarusan was taking place, instead everything Slavonic was imposed.
Besides, the building where the artist’s atelier situated was given to
the Vitsebsk eparchy, and bishop Dzmitry of Vitsebsk and Vorsha made Pushkin
leave it. Vitsebsk regional committee of Belarusan Union of Artists did
not provide the artist with an atelier, although he was querying for it
since 1991. That is why Pushkin left Vitsebsk and went to his native small
town of Bobr together with the pictures. The last exhibition in Vitsebsk
was held in the esthetics center “Maladzik” in 1997.
In Bobr Pushkin began wall-painting of the new St. Nicolas church since
summer 1995. It was finished in 2 years and currently is artist’s latest
monumental work.
Got married there and now is living with his wife in a little house.
The thematic exhibition of painting, graphics and set design which had
been earlier prohibited in Vitsebsk, was held in Vorsha in March. Pushkin
got the first experience of theatre set design in 1993 when together with
director V. Masliuk he staged “King Lear” by Shakespeare in Belarusan
Dramatic theatre of Yakub Kolas in Vitsebsk (opening night – October,
17 1994). The second performance “Miss Julie” by A. Strindberg was staged
in the same theatre in 1997 (opening night – December, 21 1997). Designed
stage and costumes of the 7th International modern choreography festival
in Vitsebsk in 1994. Besides, the books by M. Luksha (Bialystok), L. Simanionak
(Vitsebsk), S. Adamovich (Minsk) were designed by the artist.
Took part in international exhibitions (Russia, Germany). The works are
now in Belarusan State Art Museum, Polatsk history and architecture museum,
Vorsha town museums, private collections in Belarus, Russia, Germany,
Latvia.
Shares political views of Belarusan People’s Front “Adradzhennie” (“Renaissance”).
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Other
parts:
paintings
wall-paintings
performances
to the gallery
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