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Forbidden image. Personal exhibition of Boris Mikhailov

Forbidden image. Personal exhibition of Boris Mikhailov

Exhibitions

June 28, 2019 - December 27, 2019

The solo exhibition Boris Mikhailov offers a view of his artistic practice – from photography to conceptual art and performativity. Boris Mikhailov’s work has always balanced between political and social norms in search of the boundary of what the project considers forbidden imagery. The title emphasizes the personal involvement and risks of Mikhailov’s early practice, as well as his sharp sense of critical thinking. It is expressed in the image itself, which opens up the possibility for an expanded awareness of reality. The exhibition highlights his position as a leader and thinker.

The premieres of the exhibition are two new films by David Teboul, who accompanied Boris Mikhailov, gathering 40 hours of video material. The film “Tea, Coffee, Cappuccino” (13 min.) is dedicated to the place of the documentary format in the artist’s work. “I Was Here” (1 hr 55 min) is a portrait of the artist, where he describes the emotions his photographs evoke in him. Here Mikhailov’s taste for incompleteness, irony, and his inclination to play are revealed. These films intersect with Mikhailov’s works throughout the exhibition.

Exhibition curators: Bjorn Geldhof, Art Director of PinchukArtCentre; Martin Kiefer, Curator of the Department of Contemporary Art at the Louvre Museum, Paris; Alicia Nock, Curator of the Department of Contemporary Art and Research, Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Special thanks for support in the realization of the Boris Mikhailov exhibition project are expressed to Ms. Suzanne Tarasieve.

Boris Mikhailov
Salt Lake, 1986
silver gelatin print
Courtesy of the artist and Suzanne Tarasieve Gallery, Paris

Boris Mikhailov
Social Art, 1975-1986
pigment print, hand-colored
Courtesy of the artist

Boris Mikhailov
Diary, 1960-2015
collage, exhibition copy
Courtesy of the artist and Barbara Weiss Gallery, Munich

Boris Mikhailov
Unfinished Dissertation, 1984-1985
paper, pigment print
Courtesy of the artist

Boris Mikhailov
Overlay (Yesterday’s Sandwich), 1970-1979/2007
chromogenic print
Courtesy of the artist and Niccolo Sprovieri Gallery, London

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Boris Mikhailov
Overlay (Yesterday’s Sandwich), digital slideshow version
video, 10’14”
Courtesy of the artist and Niccolo Sprovieri Gallery, London

Boris Mikhailov
Viscosity, 1982
black and white print, partial toning, colored paper, colored pencil
exhibition copy
Courtesy of the artist and Guido Costa Gallery, Turin, Italy

Boris Mikhailov
Red Series, 1968-1975
color print
Courtesy of the artist

Boris Mikhailov
Dusk, 1993
toned black and white print
Courtesy of the artist and Guido Costa Gallery, Turin, Italy

Boris Mikhailov
Temptation by Death, 2017-2019
video, 10’28”
Courtesy of the artist and the festival Biennale dell`immagine, Chiasso, Switzerland

Boris Mikhailov
Look at Me, I Look at the Water, 1999
paper, silver gelatin print
Courtesy of the artist and Barbara Gross Gallery, Munich, Germany