Gifts to the Hermitage from Il Cigno Galileo Galilei Publishing House
26 June 2009 - 5 July 2009

Exhibition of the gifts from the museum partner Roman Publishing House Il Cigno Galileo Galilei opened in the Hermitage Theatre Foyer. The exhibition presents five works of Kineticism artists - Visual Triangular Dynamics (1965-1978) of Italian Alberto Biazi, Untitled (1999) by Austrian artist and architect Jorrit Thornquist, Small Theatre (2006) by Italian Ben Ormenese, Electric Colour Light, Rotation (2006) by Argentinean Horacio Garcia Rossi as well as the object Reflection (1993-1995) by Italian artist Franco Costalonga.

Kineticism as independent art movement that focuses on space and dynamic experiments with non-traditional materials formed in the second half of 1950-s. Ideas of creating art works with changing shape were mostly based on aesthetics of Russian Constructivism. In Kinetic Art motion is introduced in different ways: the artists proceed from motion prerogative as phenomenon opposed to statics and as means of confrontation against endless repetition of artistic forms fraught with 'exhaustiveness' of art. Some works are dynamically transformed by the viewer himself, while others by variations in the surrounding air. In many instances the illusion of movement arises thanks to changing illumination, sometimes the shape is changed optically as the spectator's observation point is changed.

The work of Horacio Garcia Rossi Electric Colour Light, Rotation can be united by one general composition motif with the work Visual Triangular Dynamics by Alberto Biazi - the task of both artists is to create the illusion of cyclic motion in space in a spiral. The line that indicates that spiral is bended in accordance with space characteristics. Such wave motion is one of the most widely-spread images in the creative work of the Kineticist artists. Spiral begets a whole range of images in consciousness of a modern person who is used to thinking by abstract categories in his everyday life. It can designate rises and falls in the course of time, wave nature of colour, sound and so much more, - it is easy to find associations in the surrounding world.

The same motion in a spiral is at the basis of the work by Jorrit Thornquist Untitled - parallel lines of orange material twisted spirally overcome gravitation of surface and enter three-dimensional space.

In his work Small Theatre Ben Ormenese declares dominance of abstract aesthetic function of work of art. The name of the work itself narrows our possibilities to interpret the image, imparts concreteness to it. Blinking mirror black colour also corrects viewer's imagination.

The object by Franco Costalonga Reflection can be best commented by the thesis of remarkable Kineticism artist Lucio Fontana: "We insist on art that is independent from any aesthetic artificiality". This is classical work of Kineticism Art made from coloured polymers beloved by the artist. Vivid interest in ornamentality is seen in the work by Costalonga.

Beginning from 2006 the exhibitions organized by Kineticism artists in the Hermitage advocate with particular jealousy for active involvement of scientific and technological advance and new technologies into the sphere of art.

"We do not deny power of such means as colour, form, light and so on but we have been reconsidering them introducing them into more authentic situation in the works," as written in one of programme manifests of the Kineticist. Their images are speaking the language of their time when scientific and technical revolution, technological advance have been if not prevailing then one of the most important sides of life.

At the exhibition in the Foyer of the Hermitage Theatre

Visual Triangular Dinamics
1965-1978
Larger view

Untitled
1999
Larger view

Small theatre
2006
Larger view

Electric light-colour, rotation
2006
Larger view