Vernissage

‍
2023

Happening-performance by Anatoly Osmolovsky at the Elektrozavod Gallery

‍

“This is not a joke. This is emptiness, nothingness, and that is far darker than an ordinary joke.”
“Vernissage” in French means the application of varnish (vernis — varnish).

‍

Before the opening of an exhibition in the 18th century, a vernissage would take place: the paintings were first reviewed, and the worthy ones were coated with varnish. The application of varnish signified that the work was finished and ready for public display. At the Elektrozavod Gallery, all artists who wished were invited to bring their paintings, which Anatoly Osmolovsky either did or did not coat with varnish. On the paintings that were varnished, it was possible to place a specially made stamp.

‍

At the Elektrozavod Gallery there is a gigantic crack running across the wall, which became the dividing line between the varnished and unvarnished paintings—that is, between the Vernissage and the Salon of the Rejected. In the course of the action, a conversation about contemporary painting took place, with explanations of the choices made.

‍

However, it so happened that some people responded to this event skeptically and perceived it rather flatly. For a more precise understanding of what was happening, one can point to several layers of meaning: a critique of any structure of power; an ironic treatment of authority and of oneself (meaning the author of the action, who places himself in the role of a bureaucrat stamping verdicts); a critique of the surrounding reality through an act of censorship; and a mockery of the bureaucratic system. The situation of the 18th-century Salon of the Rejected was deliberately reenacted.

‍