An exhibition by Ilya Chichkan, the representative of the art movement “Ukrainian New Wave” developed in the 1990s, is being held at the Ovcharenko Gallery in Moscow from March 20th to April 19th.　Conceptionaly and territorially this exhibition is divided into 2 expositions: right hall – ‘girls’, left hall – … no, not at all, – ‘rabbits’.

Ilya Chichkan, #2 from the series GYMNASTS, Colour photograph, 30 x 30 cm, Courtesy Ovcharenko Moscow © Ilya Chichkan

The measured series of the gymnast-girls, that were commemorated on photopaper in every possible choreographic posture, do not evoke any of the trivial erotic emotions, not even untrivial. The compositional idea and work with the model was carried out in such a way, that these images do not arouse familiar implications related with female teenagers in one’s mind. The monotony of the rhythm, statics, rather stationary open some olympic-national dignity and certain stoicism. Everything is so perfect and hard that this part of exhibition may very likely be of an interest for those, who are found of robots and other creatures of the kind.

Ilya Chichkan, from the series GYMNASTS, Colour photograph, 30 x 30 cm, Courtesy Ovcharenko Moscow © Ilya Chichkan

Rabbits, being objects of artists’ manipulations, are placed in everyday human life: microphones, washing machines, iron beds etc. This subtitution of normal rabbit life with human routine, provided with acid streaks and sparkles on the background, evoke memories of the 90’s rave-culture. The most entertaining sequence is a space-rabbit – super moving full-pressure suit won’t leave you indifferent due to its thorough performance. All the works are annotated. The comments narrate about why rabbits were involved in this foreign context. So here we find out that these ‘experimental animals’ broaden thier minds, admire the stars etc.

Ilya Chichkan “Girls and Hares”
Date: March 20th – April 19th, 2001
Place: Ovcharenko Moscow
Address: 1, 4th Syromyatnichesky pereulok, 105120, Moscow
Tel: +7 495 228 1330
https://ovcharenko.art