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Bartenev, Andrey

Andrey Bartenev is a prominent Russian artist, sculptor, and experimentalist, known for his provocative and interactive installations and performances. Born on October 9, 1965, in Norilsk, Russia, he has established a diverse career that spans various artistic disciplines, including theater design and curatorial work.

Early Life and Education

Bartenev grew up in a modest environment and aspired to learn piano as a child. At the age of 16, he left his hometown to study at the Krasnoyarsk State Institute of Arts, where he trained as a theater director. His artistic career began in Moscow during the late 1980s[2][3].

Artistic Career

Bartenev gained recognition with his performance “Botanical Ballet” in 1992, which won the Grand Prix at a festival in Riga. His works often blend absurdity and carnival-like elements, drawing inspiration from art mythology and contemporary themes. He is known for creating elaborate costumes for theatrical productions, including The Blue Bird in New York and Cinderella in Hamburg[2][3][4].

Notable Works

Interactive Installations: Bartenev’s installations often challenge viewers’ perceptions. For instance, his piece “Connection Lost,” displayed at the Russian Pavilion during the Venice Biennale in 2007, received mixed reviews but highlighted his unique approach to art[2][4].
Performances: His performances, such as “The Snow Queen” and “Black Caviar Road,” showcase his ability to merge visual art with theatrical elements. The former was an avant-garde interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale[2][4].
LED Sculptures: Bartenev has created several LED sculptures that explore themes of loneliness and connection, including Electric Aliens and London Under Snow [2][3].

Influence and Ideology

Bartenev operates within an interdisciplinary framework, believing that “art is a single current” regardless of its form. His work often reflects on societal issues through a lens of humor and absurdity. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions across Europe and the United States[2][4].

Recent Activities

In recent years, Bartenev has continued to engage with contemporary art scenes globally. He has been involved in various performances and exhibitions, including participation in the Burning Man festival, where he showcased his unique costumes[4]. Additionally, he has curated exhibitions and published works related to art history and body art[3][4].

Overall, Andrey Bartenev remains a significant figure in contemporary Russian art, known for his innovative approaches that blend performance with visual artistry.

Citations: [1] https://www.riflemaker.org/Andrey_Bartenev [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Bartenev [3] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B2,%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%94%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 [4] https://arterritory.com/en/visual_arts/interviews/20569-andrey_bartenev_artist_is_like_a_giant_jellyfish/ [5] https://www.google.com/policies/faq [6] https://www.instagram.com/andreybartenev/ [7] https://mmoma.ru/en/know/collection/favourites/artists/bartenevandrey [8] https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/andrey-bartenev

Сonspectus

Year	Milestone
2002	Worked with Robert Wilson
2006	Teaching at the Fredrikstad Norwegian Theater Academy
2007	Participated in the 52nd Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art
2009	Winner of Award Kuryokhin (in Poetic Performance)

Bartenev creates absurd, whimsical, racy, provocative, carnival fantasias. They are inspired by the mythology of art, by the dreams of scientists, by porno-anime. The artist, in his wild costumes and makeup, is an art-object himself. In this way Bartenev continues and develops the ideas of Russian Futurism. At the crest of Russia’s wave of radical Sots Art, Bartenev was invited to bring his performances all over Europe: Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Austria, and France. Bartenev’s synthetic performance The Snow Queen (1993), a vivid avant-garde interpretation of Andersen’s fairy tale, traveled to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum Theater and Royal Festival Hall (SBC). For all the apparent spontaneity and messiness of Bartenev’s shows, their internal shape and dynamics are always carefully constructed. He turns the chaos of a masquerade into a tightly run show. His performances have no plots. However, the many entrances and changing compositions are choreographed to music and rhythm. The most important part is not the concept, but the direct, spontaneous emotion and cheerful mood, which put his performances a cut above the usual melodramatic tone of art actions. His actors become biological engines for extravagant sculptural forms. The names of shows convey some of their bacchanalia of dance and color, the atmosphere that Bartenev creates on the stage: The Botanical Ballet, The Gogol-Mogol (Egg-Flip) or The Adventures of Invisible Warms in Russia, Underpants on The Stick, If My Mouth Were 160 cm Width, Invasion of the Bread Crumbs, The Sausage Goes Under Water, Wind From Flowers of Sun. Bartenev has created costumes for theater plays: The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck in New York, Elizaveta Bam by Daniil Kharms in Moscow, Cinderella by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies in Hamburg. He was an editor and published two books: People in Paints, an anthology of Russian body art, and Marvelous! - Russian Illustrators of the Glamorous Life, a history of Russian magazine illustration from 90-s. A main priority for him was a series of LED-sculptures: London Under Snow, Electric Aliens, Skriabin’s Light Music and Connection Lost - field of lonely hearts. The latter was exhibited in the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennial in 2007 and became a big hit in London at Riflemaker Contemporary Art Gallery. Bartenev created a design of LED-watches for the fashion company Armand Basi. Bartenev made raw of performances for Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center in US: The Ladder of Red (2002), Caution! Cats and Dogs on the Road (2005), Emily likes the TV (2006) and Animals Competition (2007) with Dita von Teese. In 2008 Bartenev’s works were displayed in the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, and he showed the performance Shaking Angles at The National Arts Club on Gramercy Park in New York City. In 2009 among other activities he organized and curated The Third International Festival of Illustration (Moscow), created performance SunPool for Willem de Kooning Foundation (USA), did a workshop at an international summer academy at Domaine de Boisbuchet (Centre Georges Pompidou, the Centre International de Recherche et d´Education Culturelle et Agricole (CIRECA), and Vitra Design Museum, France) and different workshops at The Norwegian Theatre Academy in Norway. He also participated at MIDI_E Festival (performance - Babbles of Hope, Spain). In 2012 Bartenev made the design for the exhibition of treasures in The Royal Library, Denmark.