On July 8, a unique solo exhibition by Russian artist Alexandr Malakhov, entitled “The Poetics of Form,” opened at the Halcyon International Gallery in Shanghai. The exhibition was curated by Professor Zhang Xi, president of the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Shanghai, with support from Moscow's Vysota Gallery.
Halcyon Gallery, a renowned British commercial gallery, represents international artists such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Bob Dylan, Mitch Griffiths, and Lorenzo Quinn.
Halcyon Gallery, a renowned British commercial gallery, represents international artists such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Bob Dylan, Mitch Griffiths, and Lorenzo Quinn.
The exhibition features 26 works from Malakhov's various series, including small and monumental abstract wall sculptures. It reflects the Russian cultural code, combining motifs of Russian avant-garde and Old Russian iconography. Malakhov draws inspiration from nature and the beauty of wood, while using a modern material — plywood. This allows him to successfully blend traditional motifs with modern technologies.
The artist shares his inspiration: “Russian icon painting inspired me to work with wood. Returning to art was like a revelation for me after visiting the 18th-century Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ with an iconostasis by Egor Grek in a Cossack village near my hometown. Plywood, unlike wood, has become a more plastic and organic material for my work.”
Alexandr Malakhov uses the Halcyon Gallery space as a canvas and medium, altering the perception of his works depending on the viewer's vantage point. The contemporary interpretation of the Russian temple space combined with the modernist architecture of the gallery on the Huangpu Riverfront in Pudong makes the exhibition particularly interesting.
“I seek to express the innate human desire to find one's place in the world and understand it through philosophy and spirituality. For me, art is a way of knowing myself and the world,” says the artist.
Alexandr Malakhov's exhibition promises to become an important event in the world of contemporary art, attracting the attention of both specialists and the general public. The exhibition will run until August 8.
