newsletter - Hermitage Museum Foundation

NEWSLETTER
Volume 4, Issue 1
February 2013
Dear Friends and Supporters:
This issue of our Newsletter will focus not only on our successful
Hermitage Dinner in New York on November 10th and the
highlights of our White Nights visit in June, but also on the progress
of our Art from America™ initiative—which takes many forms. In
addition, the HMF has been intimately involved with the
forthcoming exhibition, Houghton Revisited, which will have its Gala
opening in May at Houghton Hall, Norfolk, England.
All of our developments have taken place against a backdrop of
dramatic progress in the Russian WTO accession process culminating
in the affirmative vote to establish a Permanent Normal Trade
Relationship regime between our two countries, removing at long last
the Jackson-Vanik Cold War legislative remnant from the books.
Domestically, much uncertainty surrounded and, to some extent, still
surrounds the evolving US tax and charitable giving framework.
As we move forward with the work of the HMF during 2013 (which
is also the 400th anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty) it will be
important for us to develop new strategies and approaches to our
collaboration with the Hermitage and our own educational outreach
and other programs. More than ever, I have no doubt that each and
every individual who reads this Newsletter and who has an interest in
art, the Hermitage and Russia itself can contribute significantly to
our future activities. Please do not hesitate to provide us with your
considered input! Your friends are welcome as well.
SAVE THE DATE
BALLETS RUSSES PORCELAIN
LECTURE, ACCORDION
PERFORMANCE, AND RECEPTION
MARCH 27
6PM
THE PRINCETON CLUB, NY
This year in particular, we hope to facilitate the bringing of
contemporary fine art as well as international decorative arts to the
Hermitage, both as exhibitions and as gifts. Much is already in process
and we look forward to reporting to you once specific transactions
are completed.
HOUGHTON REVISITED
MAY 17 – SEPTEMBER 29
HOUGHTON HALL
NORFOLK, ENGLAND
WHITE NIGHT TOUR
JUNE 23 – JUNE 29
ST. PETERSBURG / MOSCOW
Respectfully submitted,
HERMITAGE GALA BANQUET
JUNE 28
Paul Rodzianko, Chairman
THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM
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HMF WHITE NIGHTS TOUR, June 2012
This summer, the HMF welcomed guests to St. Petersburg for six days of
specially organized tours of the Hermitage Museum as well as highlights
of the city and countryside. Our group was smaller this year, which allowed
for more flexibility. As a result, we spent much more time in the Museum,
enjoying private viewings of exhibition and collection highlights;
paintings, sculpture, applied arts treasures, furniture, and the ceremonial
opening on the Jordan Staircase of the Santiago Calatrava exhibition. We
were invited to the Rare Book Library and were dazzled by its amazing
offerings—centuries old volumes in rare materials and unusual designs
created for imperial presentation and other purposes the hospitable
curators and librarians kept apologizing for the fact that some of the very
best materials were out on tour! The Porcelain Storage was opened to us
with all of its secret levels and wonderful contents. Lunch at the
Hermitage Canteen where everyone who works at the Museum eventually
shows up for a coffee or a meal. (A sushi bar has been installed recently to
our surprise!) No matter how many times one has witnessed the
magnificent Peacock Clock strike the hour, it is always thrilling. We had
the opportunity to view this privately with our guide and the clock’s
curator, and again at the Gala at midnight together with a throng of
appreciative guests.
A few City Highlights: We toured the newly restored Summer Garden
located where the Moika and Fontanka canals meet the Neva River. With
the assistance of Dutch gardeners, Peter the Great (whose modest by
comparison Summer Palace is adjacent) designed the gardens around
1704. The restoration took several years to complete and involved every
possible aspect: the trees, the bushes, parterres, fountains, 91 original
sculptures replaced with marble aggregate copies, dovecotes and cottages,
and the remarkable cast iron fence designed by Georg van Veldten
installed in 1771. The Gardens have witnessed and hosted many pleasant
and unpleasant historic moments. They are immortalized in Pushkin’s
Eugene Onegin, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades.
North of the Neva, on the Kammenyi Ostrov, we strolled around the tree
lined, early 20th Century “Style Moderne” neighborhood whose mansions
are an interesting mix. Some of these former homes are begging for
inhabitants and restoration while others are in very fine shape. Not far
from this neighborhood, in a more industrialized part of town, Staraya
Derevnya is the Hermitage’s state of the art restoration and “open” storage
facility where special visitors can view its many collections which cannot
be shown in the Museum owing to lack of space! These include: textiles,
tapestries, icons, frescos, Asiatic tents, antiquities, archaeological finds,
carriages, sleds, and equestrian objects among many other categories. Of
personal interest to me were the frescos rescued from the Kremlin churches
of Pskov, whose roofs were decapitated and rooms filled in with earth to
strengthen the wall fortifications during Peter the Great’s war against the
Swedes. Having just visited this site in Pskov where most of the original
the churches are no more, it was a thrill to see the long buried interiors
close up under special lighting and temperature control.
The neighborhood of Dostoyevsky and his modest apartment was an
intriguing St. Petersburg adventure. Our guide all but took us back to this
period of the 19th century. We were visitors to his home and onlookers
and mourners at his funeral. Kuznetsky Rynok—the local market—was
nearby, so we checked out the stalls of fresh produce, vegetables, fruit ,
nuts, honey, dairy, meats, candy, and pickled vegetables—all wonderfully
displayed. Even the huge stacks of salo (fatty, raw bacon good for
accompanying vodka toasts among other things) looked great!
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Our tour also included: the Stiglitz School of Applied Arts whose huge
and comprehensive working collections (including copies of the Elgin
Marbles) are housed in a fabulous Beaux Arts building; the Kunstkammer,
Russia’s first museum which opened in 1714, with its unique
anthropological, ethnographic, scientific and astrological collections; the
Mariinsky Theatre, where we were treated to a gala evening highlighting
the prima ballerina, Yuliya Lopatkina; the Vladimir and the Stroganoff
Palaces where we were given an in depth tour and detailed examination
of their many rooms, their architecture, history and state of restoration;
and the romantic evening boat ride on the inner canals and Neva
providing yet another unforgettable view of this wonderful city.
this project, a charming lady who agreed to come out of retirement to
impart the secrets of 18th century gilding, described the challenges of this
particular project. Her family has worked in various capacities at Tsarskoye
Selo for almost 200 years! We look forward to a return visit to see the
progress and completion. ■
By: Chauncie Rodzianko
The Country
Approaching Peterhof on the early morning hydrofoil, we landed at the
pier on the shore of the Gulf of Finland where in the distance on a fairly
elevated bluff is the Baroque Great Palace built by Elizaveta Petrovna.
Our ascent took us through the lower gardens where, amidst parterres and
18th century garden follies and fountains (step on a particular cobblestone
and get a blast of cold water!), lies the charming, Dutch style, summer
cottage of Peter the Great—Monplaisir. Donning the requisite light blue,
paper shoe covers, we were treated to a scholarly and private tour of this
remarkably small (by comparison) building—clearly built for “One”.
Up through the gardens, around vast gilded fountains and flower beds
blooming with peonies and tulips, we eventually ascended the Grand
Cascade. Looking down from the parapet and out to the tiny, distant boat
dock, we were, as always, overwhelmed by the overall scene—a waterworks
paradise, a stunning feat of 18th century engineering. We made our way
from the Upper Gardens to the Olga’s and Tsaritsa’s pavilions which were
built in the mid-19th century for the amusement of the ladies of the family
of Nicholas I. Two small getaways: one for Alexandra Feodorovna wife of
Nicholas I—a tiny Etruscan Villa designed by Stackenschneider complete
with atrium pool and open roof; and the other, a villa for her daughter
Olga which has a very contemporary feel on the outside—both situated
on a pond accessible only by foot bridges. (photos)
Running against the clock, we were able to visit briefly, the estate at
Oranianbaum, a little gift of Peter the Great to his closest advisor,
Alexander Menshikov, is one of the few surviving examples of the Petrine
Baroque period. Nestled in the upper park is the recently restored Chinese
Palace, commissioned by Catherine the Great. Worth the entire visit, this
jewel of a structure, having been beset with serious dampness issues, has
been almost completely restored down to the Chinese inspired wall
coverings and parquet floors. Both the main palace and the pavilion were
seriously damaged by German artillery during WWII.
Lunch at the BIP Fortress was memorable: a tiny toy of a fortress with
towers and drawbridge (which was locked in the UP position when we
arrived), built on the site of Swedish fortifications. Paul I enjoyed “playing”
here only for three years before his murder in 1801. After much bombing
destruction from WWII, it has been completely restored and functions as
a small hotel.
Another morning we ventured out to Tsarskoye Selo for a visit to the
Catherine Palace’s most important state rooms including the Amber
Room. Unexpectedly, we were taken to the Agate Pavilion which served
as Catherine’s cold bath and private library and is situated near the
Cameron Pavilion. It is undergoing extensive renovation. However, the
staff seemed happy to see us and allowed us not only to enter the restored
rooms, but also the ones in progress. This was most unusual. “Would we
like to see the restoration work on the ceiling?” Answer: “Yes!” Then we
were escorted to a makeshift staircase in a scaffolding. Forty vertical feet
later we were standing just under the magnificent coffered ceiling with
several artisans hard at work under the bright lights. The lead artist for
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GALA BANQUET, in the Winter Palace; 1812—2012
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Photos courtesy of: Andie Terebenin 1: Paul Rodzianko, Katya Galitzine, Afrika, and Chauncie Rodzianko 2: Guests at the Gala Banquet
3: Horn concert in St. George Hall 4: In the Calatrava exhibition 5: Santiago Calatrava and Tony Cragg 6: Nightcap in the Hanging Garden
7: The Piotrovsky family 8: Afrika and friends 9: Cocktail hour 10: Giorgi G. Vilinbakhov, Paul Rodzianko, and Afrika
11: Prince & Princess Dmitry Romanov 12: Ball in the Armorial Hall
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2012 ANNUAL HERMITAGE DINNER, Honors Artists Koons & Bulatov
On November 10, 2012, the HMF honored American contemporary art
icon Jeff Koons and Erik Bulatov, one of Russia’s and Eastern Europe’s most
important living artists at the 3rd Annual Hermitage Dinner co-hosted
by Simon de Pury, the legendary Chairman and Chief Auctioneer of
Phillips de Pury & Company, who conducted an auction of works donated
especially for the gala by artists including Damien Hirst, Michal Rovner,
David Levinthal, Jeff Koons and Martin Mull.
Foundation Awards were presented to Koons and Bulatov for their
lifelong artistic achievements and contributions to contemporary art.
Philanthropist and collector Neil K. Rector was recognized for his gift
of Russian artist Oleg Vassiliev’s Artistic Vision 2009 to the Hermitage
Museum’s contemporary art collection in St. Petersburg. The gift
inaugurated the Hermitage Museum Foundation’s Art from America™
Program. ■
Peter Schaffer, Eli Broad, Jeff Koons, and Paul Rodzianko
Neil Rector and Erik Bulatov
Erik Bulatov
Eli Broad introducing Jeff Koons
Justine Koons, Simon and Michaela, Musa Klebnikov, and Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons’ acceptance
Reception
Mr. & Mrs. Neil Rector
Paul Rodzianko, Erik Bulatov, Simon du Pury, and Igor Tsukhanov
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1: Vitaly & Anna Komar with Natasha & Erik Bulatov 2: Jean Claude & Nina Bouis with Igor Tsukanov 3: Natasha & Erik Bulatov
4: Matthew Drutt, Thierry Morel, and Nic Iljine 5: John Paul Greenwalt, Stephen Vanilio, and Dmitry Yermolayev
6: Nancy Dodge and Paul Rodzianko 7: Kellybrook Ellis, Ian Hague, Aaron Collins, and Mark Kelner
8: Elena Siyanko with Grace Kennan Warnecke 9: Simon de Pury leading the HMF auction 10: HMF Dinner at Phillips de Pury, New York
11: Barbara Romero, Chauncie Rodzianko, and John English 12: Thomas Dillman
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OLEG VLADIMIROVICH VASSILIEV (1931-2013)
It is with great sadness that The Hermitage Museum Foundation
announces the death of Oleg Vassiliev on Friday, 25 January 2013, after a
long struggle with cancer.
Vassiliev has long been regarded as one of the most significant Russian
artists of his generation. Born in Moscow in 1931 he is widely known as
one of the leading figures of the “unofficial” Russian Art movement (also
known as Soviet Non-conformist Art), which originated in the 1960s –
70s. Together with Erik Bulatov, and along side another long-time friend
and colleague, Ilya Kaba kov, he illustrated children’s books for half of
each year to earn a living. For the remainder of the year, he and his
colleagues made art for themselves. Vassiliev’s artistic vision opposed the
ideologies of the State-endorsed Socialist Realism, combining
constructivist approaches of the 1920s with the Russian realism of the
19th Century. As noted by Kabakov at a dinner sponsored by the
Hermitage Museum Foundation in New York in 2011, “Vassiliev was able
to unite the innovative, formalist investigations and directions of the early
20th Century Russian avant-garde with the humanity, lyricism and appeal
to real life that was characteristic of Russian 19th Century painting.
Vassiliev did a very important thing; he returned the visual narrative to
the picture, and I believe he is one of the most important artists of his
generation.”
Hermitage Museum Foundation Board Member Neil Rector, a long-time
friend of Vassiliev, added: “From the first time I saw it, Vassiliev’s work
touched me deeply. Although I knew nothing about the people or places
depicted in the paintings, and although they seemed on the surface to have
nothing to do with me, the work somehow prompted me to look within
myself, to reflect on my own life and to think about those family members
and close friends who have been most important to me. The writer
Francine Prose might have said it best when she asked: ‘And why do we
feel these seemingly peaceful, deserted landscapes are so thickly populated
by restless ghosts?’”
Photo by: Peggy Jarrell Kaplan
Rector has known Vassiliev and collected his work for 20 years. In 2012,
he donated a major Vassiliev painting, “Artistic Vision,” 2009, to the
Hermitage Museum’s permanent collection.
In 1990 Vassiliev emigrated with his family to the United States, moving
first to New York and then to Minneapolis Minnesota where he lived and
worked until his death. Always charming, curious and enthusiastic, he
managed his illness with great fortitude and continued to paint until
shortly before his death.
Works by Oleg Vassiliev are held in international private and public art
collections including: The Hermitage Museum and the State Russian
Museum in St. Petersburg; the State Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin
Museum of Fine Art in Moscow; the Kunstmuseum in Bern Switzerland;
and numerous other museums in the United States and Europe.
The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis, held a major exhibition of his
paintings and drawings in 2011-12. In February 2012, the “Oleg Vassiliev
Visiting Artist Fund” was established in his honor at the Yale University
School of Art.
A Memorial Service for Vassiliev is expected to be held sometime this
Spring or Summer in the New York area. ■
By: Neil Rector
Oleg Vassiliev’s Artistic Vision 2009. This work is the first to be donated
to the Hermitage Museum under HMF’s Art from America™ program.
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THE WALPOLE MASTERPIECES REASSEMBLED AT HOUGHTON HALL
Houghton Hall is one of the finest Palladian houses in England. It was
built by Sir Robert Walpole in the early 18th century to house his
collection of fine art and furniture. By 1736, this picture collection was
one of the finest in the country, including masterpieces by artists such as
Poussin, Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck.
The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg is one of the world’s
premier museums. Founded by Catherine the Great in 1764, its extensive
holdings number nearly three million items and include one of the greatest
collections of Old Master paintings in the world.
These two institutions share a significant link: in 1779, Sir Robert’s
descendants sold much of the Walpole Collection to Catherine the Great,
which then formed the basis of the Hermitage’s founding collection.
In the unprecedented exhibition Houghton Revisited, Houghton Hall, the
State Hermitage Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the State
Museum of Pavlovsk, the Far East Museum of Fine Arts in Khabarovsk,
the Perm State Art Gallery, Tsarskoe Selo State Preserve, Norwich Castle
Museum, and from the U.S.—the Metropolitan Museum and the National
Gallery will join forces in the summer of 2013 to reinstall Sir Robert’s
extraordinary collection at Houghton Hall, allowing the public in Britain
to see it for the first time outside of Russia. Paintings will be temporarily
returned to their original positions recreating the interiors of the State
Rooms in their entirety, while a new exhibition room will display works
on paper and Walpole silver.
In its scale and ambition the exhibition will also serve as a fitting
commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Catherine the Great’s
accession to the throne, and more broadly the distinguished history of
Anglo-Russian cultural relations. ■
By: Thierry Morel
On behalf of Lord and Lady Cholmondeley and the entire exhibition
team, I want to express our heartfelt thanks for the support and
encouragement we have received over the past few months from the
HMF USA and our American friends in general.
In December, Peter Schaffer hosted a most elegant cocktail party at
A La Vieille Russie on Fifth Avenue in New York, a legendary
bastion in the world of Russian pre-Revolution art and culture.
The party gathered the members of the HMF, the patrons of the Frick
Collection, collectors and art lovers from New York, the West Coast
and Florida.
Lord Cholmondeley, Peter Schaffer and I gave a brief outline of what
the exhibition was about and urged all of the assembly to come to
Norfolk for this once in a lifetime exhibition.
The following evening, the Director and curators of the Metropolitan
Museum kindly invited us to give an illustrated lecture about the
exhibition. Dr. Luke Syson, the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Curator
of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, gave a very kind
introduction, and we are delighted to say that a sizeable delegation
from the Metropolitan Museum has already planned a visit at
Houghton during the summer.
Once again, this proves that the adventurous and pioneer spirit is
still very much alive and well in America, and we are both proud and
honored to welcome you all at Houghton for what should be a special
moment in history.
With many thanks and warmest wishes,
Thierry Morel
Exhibition Curator and HMF Advisory Board Member ■
A La Vieille Russie interior
Paul Schaffer, Irene Aitken, Lord & Lady Cholmondeley, and
Peter Schaffer
Colin Bailey, chief curator of the Frick Museum and
Thierry Morel, Exhibition Curator
Guests at the Houghton Revisited reception
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HMF SPONSORS APPLIED ART LECTURES IN ST. PETERSBURG
In December, The Hermitage Museum Foundation sponsored the visit of
Mrs. Helen Drutt English to St. Petersburg, the Hermitage Museum and a
number of other locations. She was accompanied by Chauncie Rodzianko.
Dr. Tina Khmelnitskaya, Hermitage Curator of Russian Porcelain,
conceived of and organized this auspicious visit. It coincided with the
publication of the December Antiqvariat Magazine which included a
comprehensive article about Mrs. Drutt English and her collections.
РОССИЙСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ ХУДОЖЕСТВ
HERMITAGE MUSEUM FOUNDATION
Лекция
профессора, коллекционера
ХЕЛЕН ДРУТТ ИНГЛИШ
The primary purpose of her trip was to share Helen’s knowledge of
contemporary Applied Arts with various specialists and groups. Her lecture
“Poetics of Clay: An American Perspective” at the Vladimir Palace was
well attended and enthusiastically received in spite of intense snowfall. A
day later, Mrs. Drutt English spoke at the Academy of Arts in an informal
seminar setting. Her subject, “Craft as Art” was extremely popular with
the student audience. A robust Q & A followed.
ПОЭТИКА ИСКУССТВА:
СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ
On her visit to the Hermitage Museum, Mrs. Drutt English was warmly
received by its Director, Prof. Mikhail B. Piotrovsky and by Dr. Tamara V.
Rappe, Head of the Department of Western European Applied Art.
In addition to her international renown and status as a collector and
scholar in the Applied Arts, Mrs. Drutt English is also an extremely
well-respected member of the HMF Advisory Board. ■
СОВРЕМЕННОЕ ПРИКЛАДНОЕ ИСКУССТВО:
РАСШИРЯЯ ГОРИЗОНТЫ
13 декабря 2012 г. в 15.00
By: Chauncie Rodzianko
Кабинет искусств
Университетская наб., 17
Карьера Хелен Друтт Инглиш началась в середине 1950-х годов.
В 1967-м она стала учредителем и исполнительным директором
Совета профессиональных мастеров Филадельфии (Philadelphia
Council of Professional Craftsmen), а в 1973-м выпустила первое
в истории учебное пособие по истории североамериканской
керамики и фарфора ХХ века. В этом же году она основала
«Helen Drutt Gallery» – одну из первых американских галерей,
специализирующихся на фарфоре, керамике и металле. Ученый
и меценат Друтт Игнлиш представила миру творчество многих
современных художников, ставших знаковыми фигурами
американского искусства второй половины ХХ столетия.
ДВОРЕЦ ВЕЛИКОГО КНЯЗЯ ВЛАДИМИРА АЛЕКСАНДРОВИЧА
(ДОМ УЧЕНЫХ им. М. ГОРЬКОГО РАН)
HERMITAGE MUSEUM FOUNDATION
Лекция
профессора, коллекционера
ХЕЛЕН ДРУТТ ИНГЛИШ
ПОЭТИКА ИСКУССТВА:
СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ
11 декабря в 17.00
Дворцовая наб., 26
Helen Drutt English at the Hermitage
Карьера Хелен Друтт Инглиш началась в середине 1950-х годов. В 1967-м она
стала учредителем и исполнительным директором Совета профессиональных
мастеров Филадельфии (Philadelphia Council of Professional Craftsmen), а в 1973-м
выпустила первое в истории учебное пособие по истории североамериканской
керамики и фарфора ХХ века. В этом же году она основала «Helen Drutt Gallery» –
одну из первых американских галерей, специализирующихся на фарфоре,
керамике и металле. Ученый и меценат Друтт Игнлиш представила миру
творчество многих современных художников, ставших знаковыми фигурами
американского искусства второй половины ХХ столетия. Ее коллекция
современного фарфора и керамики считается одной из лучших в мире. Она
предлагает нам взглянуть на произведения американского керамического
искусства через призму творчества пятнадцати известнейших мастеров
Америки, представляющих разные стилевые направления и технологические
приемы.
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HMF JUNIOR COMMITTEE EVENTS
The HMF Junior Committee hosted a fabulous vodka tasting event on
Tuesday, June 19th, at Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art. Over 30
people attended this amusing and informative lecture by Ms. Herlihy,
Professor Emeritus of History, Brown University.
Professor Herlihy, a specialist in Russian and Ukrainian history, is also the
author of The Alcoholic Empire: Vodka and Politics in Late Imperial
Russia and Odessa: A History, 1794-1914.
In her new book Vodka: a Global History, Patricia discussed the history of
vodka as well as the ways in which vodka distillers package and pitch their
products, and the corresponding ways by which consumers define
themselves through their choice of brands, revealing as much about vodka
as it does our own world. However vodka is drunk, whether straight,
infused, flavored or mixed, the history of vodka is a story of an old spirit
that has become the perfect postmodern drink. After the lecture, the
Junior Committee and their guests enjoyed a selection of vodkas along
with an assortment of traditional Russian zakuski.
On Thursday, September 20th, the HMF Junior Committee hosted a
gathering at the (Art) Amalgamated gallery in Chelsea. Over a glass of
wine more than twenty guests were introduced to the intricate and
provocative works of Masami Teraoka. The exhibit was curated by Gary
Krimershmoys, founder of the (Art) Amalgamated project space.
Guests of honor were artist and Hermitage Museum Foundation Award
recipient, Vitaly Komar and his wife Anna. This gathering was part of an
educational and cultural event series hosted by the HMF Junior
Committee. ■
By: Elena Makovskaia
Photos by: Taisha Hutchison
Junior Committee reflect over the lecture while sampling the goods
Alexandre Gertsman, Patricia Herlihy, and Paul Rodzianko
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Art from America™: ENRIQUE MARTINEZ CELAYA—THE TOWER OF SNOW
During Miami Basel 2011, Paul and Chauncie Rodzianko were invited to
an elegant dinner hosted by Heidi Steiger of US Bank at artist Enrique
Martinez Celaya’s studio in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami. Many
delightful impressions ranging from the space and layout; to the artwork
representing evolution from his earliest works to his most current creations
including film and sculpture; and all the way through to his publishing
house, sculpture garden, and library. An intriguing mixture incorporating
a background in laser science and philosophy, Enrique has dedicated a
number of his paintings to Russian poets including Boris Pasternak, Anna
Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam.
Enter Dimitri Ozerkov, Director of the Hermitage’s 20/21 Project for
contemporary art. With his scheduled arrival from St. Petersburg a couple
of days later, it only seemed logical to organize a follow-on visit to meet
Enrique and see the studio and exhibition as well as to attend a late night
party in Enrique’s honor sponsored by VOGUE magazine at a high profile
Art Deco hotel in Miami Beach. One thing led to another and Enrique
unexpectedly shared his 2011 video The Master with the Hermitage.
Shortly thereafter, the Hermitage Museum invited him to exhibit his
recently completed giant bronze sculpture, The Tower of Snow, in the
Hermitage Courtyard from July through November 2012. And so it
happened.
In the artist’s own words: “The image of the boy on crutches balancing a
house on his back emerged in sketches and watercolors before appearing
in one of the paintings I did for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in
New York City. While it is tempting to see the monumentality of The
Tower of Snow as ironic in relation to the condition [of] the crutches, I am
more interested in the paradox of vulnerability and permanence, a duality
the title itself suggests.”
The Tower of Snow in the Hermitage Courtyard
Enrique was able to come to St. Petersburg and visit the Hermitage both
before and after the installation of his sculpture, as was one of the HMF’s
directors, Torkom Demirjian. He has included most generously with the
loan the untitled pencil sketch of The Tower of Snow in the courtyard as a
memento of this exhibition. ■
By: Paul Rodzianko
HERMITAGE KAPUSTNIK
The word “kapustnik” comes from the Russian word for “cabbage”. Yet
what it means, in the holiday context, is a skit—an amateur comic
representation based on humor and satire highlighting the salient events
of the year. In the 19th century, the “kapustniki” were held in small
provincial towns. Before the 1917 Revolution, it was a tradition that a
theatre’s staff would arrange such performances for a narrow circle of
family and friends.
This tradition continues to the present day. Kapustniki are organized in
schools, universities, factories, theaters. They became so popular among
the university students that during the Soviet Union, they became the
foundation of one of the most popular television shows and international
network of university clubs called KVN—the Club of Fun People (Klub
Veselykh i Nakhodchevykh.)
Since then it has become an annual event much looked forward to by the
Museum Staff and friends. The chief scriptwriter of the Hermitage
Kapustnik is Elena Zvyagintseva, Head of the Publishing Department. As
soon as her text is ready, the team of 30-40 members of the Museum’s Staff
begin rehearsals, sometimes twice a day after work. Dances are a very
important part of each Kapustnik. An ex-ballerina of the Mariinsky
Theatre volunteers every year, creating dances for non-dancers. There is
a constant troupe of 25 members who take part in every annual Kapustnik,
with the additional 10 new participants who vary each year. Traditionally,
Dr. Piotrovsky gives a speech before the performance in the Hermitage
Theatre and, at its conclusion, always comes to the stage to thank the
hardworking performers and to wish everyone a good Christmas. ■
By: Dmitry Yermolayev with Dr. Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya
At the Hermitage Museum the Kapustnik tradition resumed in 2005.
www.hermitagemuseumfoundation.org
NEWSLETTER
Volume 3, Issue 1
Page 12
NEWSLETTER
Volume 4, Issue 1
February 2013
UPCOMING EVENTS
• Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya
Ballets Russes porcelain lecture
March 27, 6 pm, Princeton Club, New York
• Nadia Guseva
Accordion performance
March 27, 6 pm, Princeton Club, New York
• Houghton Revisited
May 17 through September 29, Houghton Hall Norfolk, England
• Robert Simon
Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci lecture
June (date TBD), New York
• Hermitage Dwellers screening
Summer (date TBD), Princeton Club, New York
FACEBOOK PAGE
Want to experience a different side of the foundation and participate
as well? Click here to join the conversation on our facebook page. You
will find facts, fictions, interesting news, highlights, and just plain
strange, even bizarre, stuff.
Here are a few of the images you will see, go to our page and see what
people are talking about. And don’t forget to “like” us.
• White Nights Tour
June 23 – June 29, St. Petersburg / Moscow
• The Hermitage Gala Banquet
June 28, St. Petersburg
• Hermitage Dinner
November, New York
WHO’S WHO
Editor-in-Chief: Dmitry Yermolayev
Editor:
Chauncie Rodzianko
Contributors:
Ekaterina Khmelintskaya
Elena Makovskaia
Thierry Morel
Juliete Nanikashvili
Neil Rector
Paul Rodzianko
ABOUT US
The Hermitage Museum Foundation (USA), Inc. (a 501(c) (3)
corporation) contributes to the preservation and promotion of the rich
cultural heritage of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia,
its more than three million objects and the Museum’s historic buildings.
The HMF raises funds for restoration and conservation projects as well
as securing the donation of art and artifacts for the Museum by means
of its Art from America™ initiative. The Foundation also hosts
educational outreach programs and publications and supports
exhibitions and organizes an annual White Nights tour to the Museum.
The unique resources of the Hermitage, its Director, Dr. Piotrovsky and
the leadership of the HMF combine to provide an exceptional
opportunity to support the full spectrum of Russian-American cultural
diplomacy.
Hermitage Museum Foundation - USA 505 Park Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Tel: 1-212-826-3074 | Fax: 1-212-888-4018 | Email: info@hermitagemuseumfoundation.org
www.hermitagemuseumfoundation.org